Joe Biden was on vacation when Taliban took over Kabul in 2021, as per a new book.
US President Joe Biden gave an explosive reaction when he was told that then-Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani had fled Kabul ahead of the Taliban's takeover of the city, according to a new book. It mentions that Mr Biden was on vacation at that time at Camp David and he was told about the events in Afghanistan by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on August 12, 2021, as per a Fox News report. The chaotic withdrawal has been rendered in great detail in the book titled 'The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden's White House and the Struggle for America's Future' by Franklin Foer.
"Biden exploded in frustration when he heard the news and exclaimed 'Give me a break!'" Mr Foer said in the book.
It also mentions that Mr Biden wasn't the only one on vacation when Mr Ghani escaped.
After the withdrawal of US forces, the Biden administration had thought that the responsibility will be gradually handed over to the new Afghan government.
But the Taliban rapidly advanced and took over many cities as US forces moved out of bases, prompting Mr Ghani to flee.
Mr Foer has also claimed in the book that the US President privately admitted to feeling "tired", but described his vast political experience as a vital asset.
"His advanced years were a hindrance, depriving him of the energy to cast a robust public presence or the ability to easily conjure a name," Mr Foer has said in the book, according to The Guardian.
The author has not cited a source for Mr Biden's reported private remarks but his book, according to its publisher, Penguin Random House, is based on "unparalleled access to the tight inner circle of advisers who have surrounded Biden for decades".
Last month, The Guardian published the results of a poll conducted by the Associated Press and Norc Centre for Public Affairs, which said that 77 per cent of Americans thought age would be a problem if Mr Biden won the White House again.
The book is set to be released in the US on Tuesday.