US Presidency
2021

The events we’re seeing now are sadly proof that no amount of military force would ever deliver a stable, united, and secure Afghanistan—as known in history as the “graveyard of empires.” What is happening now could just as easily have happened 5 years ago or 15 years in the future. We have to be honest: Our mission in Afghanistan has taken many missteps—made many missteps over the past two decades. I’m now the fourth American President to preside over war in Afghanistan—two Democrats and two Republicans. I will not pass this responsibly on—responsibility on to a fifth President. I will not mislead the American people by claiming that just a little more time in Afghanistan will make all the difference. Nor will I shrink from my share of responsibility for where we are today and how we must move forward from here. I am President of the United States of America, and the buck stops with me. I am deeply saddened by the facts we now face.