John Kirby under fire for accidental email dismissing veterans’ concerns on Afghanistan withdrawal

WASHINGTON, DC: White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby found himself in hot water on Wednesday, September 11, when a seemingly innocent email slip turned into a full-blown PR nightmare.

At 61, you'd expect Kirby to have perfected email etiquette, but it appears he mistakenly sent a private email to the public, and the backlash has been quite intense.

John Kirby's accidental 'reply all' sparks backlash

According to Fox News, John Kirby meant to send a dismissive response to his White House colleagues but accidentally hit “reply all” on an email chain that included a Fox News reporter, exposing his candid thoughts to the media.

In the email, Kirby casually dismissed concerns about the Harris-Biden administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, writing, “Obviously no use in responding. A ‘handful’ of vets indeed and all of one stripe.”

Several veterans publicly criticized Kirby for what they perceived as attempts to “cover-up” the Harris-Biden administration’s mishandling of the Afghanistan withdrawal.

One of the most outspoken critics was Rep Cory Mills, R-Fla, an Army veteran, who didn't hold back in his criticism of Kirby. “The bottom line is that the Biden-Harris administration chose politics over strategy, and Kirby, who I wouldn’t trust to guard my grocery list, is now trying to cover for them,” Mills told Fox News.

Kirby later acknowledged his mistake to the reporter, stating, “Clearly, I didn’t realize you were on the chain.” However, the damage was done, and the internet quickly seized on the slip-up.

The email mishap couldn’t have come at a worse time. It was September 11, and the anniversary of the Afghanistan withdrawal was still fresh in everyone’s minds.

“This is how the Biden-Harris administration talks about the well-founded concerns of our nation’s veterans?” Sen John Thune (R-SD) wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). “Just days after the anniversary of the deadly Afghanistan withdrawal. On the anniversary of 9/11. Our Gold Star families deserve better.”

Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller didn't hold back, condemning Kirby’s remarks as "stupid" and "insensitive" on X. Former Republican National Committee communications specialist Steve Guest also weighed in, describing Kirby’s comments as “horrifying, callous, and disgraceful.”

“Retired Rear Admiral Kirby’s comments are appalling, but sadly not surprising,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said in a statement. “The Biden-Harris administration has consistently disregarded our veterans, service members, and Gold Star families over their botched withdrawal from Afghanistan.”

Public outrage grows over John Kirby’s email gaffe

The backlash against John Kirby's email gaffe extended beyond veterans and political figures. Everyday Americans also took to social media to voice their outrage.

"He says it was an accident. The reply-all was an accident. But what he typed was NOT an accident. What a jack---," one posted on X.

"Kirby is trash -and so is the rest of the administration," another fumed.

"Not his kind of veterans I guess. Despicable," someone else added. [sic]

"Reminder... He was an ADMIRAL. To have that kind of disdain is unthinkable. What a disgrace. He sold his soul long ago anyway," read a comment.

"John Kirby confirmed what we already knew: he’s a disgrace to America & a failure at his position. He should have resigned long ago," another chimed in.

Scathing report on Afghanistan withdrawal

The email debacle came on the heels of a scathing 350-page report released by the House Foreign Affairs Committee earlier in the week. 

The report blasted the Harris-Biden administration’s decision to withdraw from Afghanistan, noting that President Joe Biden pushed forward with the withdrawal despite objections from military officials, US allies, and the Afghan government.

In response to the report, Kirby was already on the defensive and dismissed the findings as “one-sided” and “partisan.”

He even blamed former President Donald Trump for the chaotic withdrawal, arguing that the GOP nominee had struck a deal with the Taliban that left the US military scrambling to exit.

“President Biden, for his part, faced a stark choice when he came to office: Abide by the flawed agreement and end America’s longest war, or blow up the deal, extend the war, and see a much smaller contingent of American troops back in combat with the Taliban,” Kirby said.

“He chose the former and was able to buy additional time to prepare for that withdrawal all the way into summer, and we, as a nation, are safer for it,” he added.

Mark Geist, a Marine veteran and key figure in rescuing over 100 Americans from the Taliban in 2021, accused Kirby of presenting a “one-sided” view of the facts during a recent press conference.

Geist suggested that the true motive behind the withdrawal was to divert focus and funding to the war in Ukraine.

“In the press conference, John Kirby delivered a one-sided presentation of facts and falsehoods regarding the recent House Report on Afghanistan. I’ll start with where Mr Kirby finished, which was likely the only thing he said that was completely true: they pulled out of Afghanistan because they wanted to start and fund the war in Ukraine, fully aware that the American people would not tolerate being involved in two wars again,” Geist said.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.