According to Marc Thiessen, a Fox News contributor, the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan could have significant implications for President Joe Biden’s political career. Reflecting on the heart-wrenching testimony from Gold Star families in Congress, Thiessen offered insights on how the situation in Afghanistan could shape Biden’s chances of securing a second term. He emphasized the emotional weight carried by these families and highlighted the upcoming accountability that may arise from the Afghanistan ordeal. While the 2024 election might not revolve solely around Afghanistan, Thiessen suggested that it could become a referendum on President Biden himself.
Thiessen pointed out the drastic drop in Biden’s approval ratings, which had been over 50% before the Afghan withdrawal but fell below this threshold afterward. This decline in approval was not limited to foreign policy and counterterrorism but affected all areas. Thiessen dissected the reasons behind this decline, attributing them to dishonesty and incompetence. Many Americans viewed Biden as untruthful and incapable, creating a perception that is challenging to reverse and leaving a lasting impact on his presidency. Thiessen argued that the Afghanistan crisis served as a catalyst for these negative perceptions.
Furthermore, Thiessen highlighted how Biden’s approval ratings took a sharp nosedive following the events in Kabul and have remained below 50% since then. This indicates the lasting impact of the Afghanistan debacle and suggests it has fundamentally reshaped public opinion regarding Biden’s credibility and leadership skills. In Thiessen’s analysis, the Afghanistan issue has become a symbol of broader concerns about Biden’s capabilities, potentially playing a decisive role in determining his political future and the possibility of losing the White House.