Biden Is Hidin’ in the White House as America Ends War in Afghanistan

President Joe Biden remained publicly silent from the White House on Monday as the last American forces withdrew from Afghanistan.

White House staff called a “lid” for the president’s activities for the day, just prior to the dawn of August 31 in Afghanistan, his scheduled withdrawal date.

The White House relied on a Pentagon briefing with spokesman John Kirby and Gen. Kenneth McKenzie to mark the official end of the war, after the last planes departed from the airport in Kabul.

McKenzie acknowledged there were people remaining in the country, who still needed to get evacuated.

“We did not get everybody out that we wanted to get out,” he said, describing the number as in “the very low hundreds.”

Secretary of State Tony Blinken was also expected to brief reporters about the end of military operations in the country and the beginning of a diplomatic process with the Taliban to get more Americans and Afghan allies out.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki indicated that Biden would eventually address the nation regarding the end of the war, but did not offer a specific timeline.

“I think you and the American public can expect to hear from the president in the coming days,” she said. “I do not have anything to outline for you in terms of specific date and time at this point in time.”

Biden appeared briefly in front of reporters during a conference call with governors of states hit by Hurricane Ida on Monday but did not take questions or speak about Afghanistan during the event.