Seth Meyers on Wednesday lashed out at Republicans like Karl Rove and John Bolton over their criticisms of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, while also taking to task the media outlets that gave airtime to the pair of war hawks.
Meyers first summarized reports indicating that while the U.S. government over the years publicly maintained that gains were being made in Afghanistan, they acknowledged in private that the picture was far more bleak.
“Every time someone suggested withdrawing,” Meyers said, “the military-industrial complex and foreign policy elite kept insisting that if we only gave them a few more months, they could finally turn things around.”
“It’s kind of like how, as a kid, you would tell your parents you would return the movie you rented from Blockbuster tomorrow because you hadn’t finished it yet,” the late-night host continued. “And then they would ask you the next day, and you would tell them you just had to watch the last twenty minutes. And the next thing you know, you’re 47 years old and you owe Blockbuster $60,000 in late fees for a VHS copy of The Prince of Tides.”
Since President Biden is now the commander-in-chief tasked with returning that figurative videotape, he has been the target of finger-pointing by figures like Rove, “architect of the presidency that brought us some of the most horrific foreign policy debacles in American history,” as Meyers described him.
“Maybe next time we could ask the dudes at [the] Sturgis [motorcycle rally] for some tips on COVID prevention and noise reduction,” Meyers joked. “Seriously, do you have no shame at all? Did all of your other guests fall through?”
To Meyers’ dismay, Bolton made an appearance on CNN around the same time.
“Come on, CNN,” an exasperated Meyers said. “Why would you give airtime to a notorious pro-war liar who has been wrong not just about this, but about everything?”
Instead, Meyers suggested, the network could have interviewed Rep. Barbara Lee, the only member of Congress who voted against the war.
