'How Could it be More F***ed up, More Incompetent?': Bill Maher Rips Biden Over US Afghan Pullout

President Joe Biden’s administration is facing an increasing backlash for its failure to foresee the rapid fall of the Afghan government and swift takeover of the country by the Taliban*, which have resulted in a chaotic effort to evacuate American citizens, Western nationals and Afghan allies from the war-torn country.

Bill Maher slammed the Biden administration over what a chorus of bipartisan critical voices have branded a botched military withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The American comedian, actor, and host of the HBO political talk show Real Time with Bill Maher kicked off the show's panel discussion on Friday with a familiar barrage against former President Donald Trump.

#StartTheClock: A new episode of #RealTime with @BillMaher feat. @sullydish, @jackiekcalmes & former Rep. @MaxRose4NY is now on @HBO! https://t.co/tlAENWprFG pic.twitter.com/aH0H3VW09K

— Real Time with Bill Maher (@RealTimers) August 21, 2021

The host fumed that "everything he did" during his presidency was "f***ed up and crazy". He then proclaimed that since Democrat Biden was elected and took office, "the adults are back in charge."

At this point the host’s attach pivoted to Joe Biden, as he exclaimed:

"The people who know what they're doing - the Democrats - and the pullout looks exactly … I can't think of how it could've looked any different if it was Trump. Honestly… I mean, how could it be more f***ed up? How could it be more incompetent? How could it be more Trumpian? So what do I say to myself when I sleep at night when the adults are back in charge and they f**k it up exactly as bad as Trump would?"

The HBO star then levelled scathing criticism at the Republican calls to investigate the Biden administration over its management of the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan.

Maher cited Donald Trump's Sunday call for Biden to "resign in disgrace" over his “handling of Afghanistan, along with the tremendous surge in COVID, the Border catastrophe, the destruction of energy independence, and our crippled economy".

He also brought up the Twitter post made by Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., earlier.

After the disastrous events in Afghanistan, we must confront a serious question: Is Joe Biden capable of discharging the duties of his office or has time come to exercise the provisions of the 25th Amendment? https://t.co/l1bFrUdZH9

— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) August 16, 2021

Scott tweeted that “after the disastrous events in Afghanistan” people ought to question if Biden was “capable of discharging the duties of his office”, as he suggested exercising the provisions of the 25th Amendment.

Mention was made of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who suggested on "Fox & Friends on Friday that president Biden "deserves to be impeached" if Americans or Afghan allies are left behind.

"The way they turn on a dime! It just shows no issue matters, it's just what team you're on," fumed Maher, in a reference to the stance displayed by the GOP when calls for impeachment had been levelled at then-president Trump over the January 6 events at the Capitol.

Despite the backlash Biden’s administration has been facing over events in Afghanistan, where the Taliban* Islamist group has claimed control of the country, Maher suggested that the decision to withdraw the military will "look good and brave" in the future.

"It was gonna happen, it had to happen and he was the one who f***in' pulled the Band-Aid off," said Maher.

President Joe Biden and his administration have been under fire for a hasty withdrawal of forces from Afghanistan despite reports suggesting they had been forewarned by intelligence assessments that Taliban was likely to overrun Kabul.

In this Aug. 19, 2021 file photo, Taliban fighters display their flag on patrol in Kabul, Afghanistan. When U.S. President Joe Biden took office early this year, Western allies were falling over themselves to welcome and praise him and hail a new era in trans-Atlantic cooperation.

© AP Photo / Rahmat Gul

Joe Biden added fuel to the fire by claiming on Friday that the US forces had successfully rid Afghanistan of Al Qaeda*, and that American citizens were not having trouble reaching the airport in Kabul, which is the sole evacuation point for all those rushing to leave the country. Western forces control Hamid Karzai International Airport, but no one can get inside without passing through Taliban checkpoints.

Minutes later, however, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, was cited as disputing those claims. Austin told House lawmakers in a briefing call cited by US media outlets that Americans trying to leave Afghanistan had been “harassed and beaten” by Taliban militants while trying to reach the airport.

A baby is handed over to the American army over the perimeter wall of the airport for it to be evacuated, in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 19, 2021, in this still image taken from video obtained from social media.

© REUTERS / OMAR HAIDARI

At a Defense Department Briefing, when asked about Austin’s remarks, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby echoed Austin’s words:

 “We're certainly mindful of these reports and they're deeply troubling and we have communicated to the Taliban that that's absolutely unacceptable, that we want free passage through their checkpoints for documented Americans and - by and large - that's happening.”

Joe Biden held a media conference at the White House Friday to update Americans on the evacuation effort, insisting “significant progress” had been made.

Biden says Al-Qaeda is ‘gone’ in Afghanistan, reports suggest terror group still operating there | Just The Newshttps://t.co/DvzJedLGM8 pic.twitter.com/tzgXkLyN18

— John Solomon (@jsolomonReports) August 20, 2021

The White House says that about 13,000 people have got out on US military aircraft in less than a week. However, thousands more US citizens, and even more Afghans, are still stuck in Afghanistan.

*The Taliban and al-Qaeda are listed as terrorist organisations in Russia.