In a speech on Monday, President Joe Biden blamed his predecessor, Donald Trump, and the Afghan people, for his administration’s botched withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and the rapid takeover of the country’s capital by Taliban forces.
As a candidate, however, Biden repeatedly promised that, if elected, he would “take responsibility” and not blame others.
Last year, on June 4, Biden took to Twitter to assure Americans that he wouldn’t dodge responsibility:
“Unlike this president, I’ll do my job and take responsibility. I won’t blame others.”
In an August 16, 2020 tweet, Biden promised that “I’ll take responsibility instead of blaming others.”
The next month, in a September 10 interview with CNN, Biden again promised to “take responsibility” and own up to his mistakes:
“I know what the job takes. I sat for hundreds of hours in the situation room. For eight years, I was vice president in every major decision. I know how difficult the job is.
“And one more thing I’ll do: I'll take responsibility. I'll acknowledge my mistakes when I make them, and I'll level with the American people."
On December 3, Biden reminded CNN of his vow to “take responsibility”:
“As I said to you on other interviews, I will take responsibility. When I fail, I will acknowledge it, and I will not deny that I made a mistake.”