In a shocking, yet all-too-illuminating mistake, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby delivered a masterclass in how the political elite truly view those they claim to serve—our nation’s veterans. In what can only be described as a "slip of the truth," Kirby mistakenly emailed a Fox News reporter a message intended for White House staffers, revealing that veteran concerns over the Harris-Biden administration’s disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal are, in his own words, "obviously no use in responding" to.
Let that sink in for a moment. The same administration that routinely hosts solemn ceremonies, draped in flag-waving, photo-op patriotism, has now openly admitted that when the cameras stop rolling, the concerns of veterans are nothing more than an inconvenience to be brushed aside. "Obviously no use in responding," Kirby wrote, essentially declaring that the men and women who risked life and limb to serve their country are mere footnotes in the administration's chaotic narrative.
It's as if Kirby has revealed the quiet part out loud. His accidental reply exposed a staggering level of indifference cloaked behind the polished façade of respectability. One might expect this sort of sentiment in a dystopian novel about the ruling class's disdain for the "common folk," but alas, this is the reality of today’s political elite. Veterans—the very people who fought and sacrificed for the freedoms the administration exploits—are now reduced to a "handful" of voices too small to matter and "all of one stripe," an unmistakable reference to the administration's obsession with division and identity politics over actual service and sacrifice.
Kirby’s comments shine a harsh light on the absurdity of modern political theater. While the administration loves to trot out veterans when it serves their narrative, their true feelings seem to align with the notion that those who serve are little more than pawns to be discarded once they’ve outlived their usefulness. This isn’t just disrespectful—it’s lunacy on a grand scale. The very people whose courage they publicly applaud are dismissed behind closed doors as irrelevant, their concerns labeled as unworthy of a response.
The absurdity doesn’t stop there. Consider the context in which this email blunder occurred—the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, a calamity that will stain the nation’s history for decades. The administration's handling of the withdrawal was, in the eyes of many, a tragic farce. Veterans who served in Afghanistan have voiced deep concerns, not just about the lives lost, but about the complete erasure of nearly two decades of sacrifice. And how does the administration respond? With silence. Or worse, with dismissive contempt.
The Kirby email debacle illustrates the staggering gap between the people who lead and the people they supposedly serve. How ludicrous is it that an administration, which endlessly parrots support for "the troops," views these same troops as nothing more than a nuisance to be managed, a public relations hurdle to be smoothed over? Kirby’s email wasn’t just a mistake—it was a rare glimpse into the minds of those who control the narrative, a narrative that all too often values optics over reality, power over principle, and politics over patriotism.
If Kirby’s words reflect the administration’s approach to veteran concerns, one can only imagine what other inconvenient truths lie behind the carefully crafted speeches and ceremonial displays of loyalty. The Harris-Biden administration’s handling of Afghanistan has left a bitter taste in the mouths of many, but for the veterans who lived through the blood, sweat, and tears of that conflict, it’s more than just a failure of policy. It’s a slap in the face.
John Kirby’s email is a glaring reminder of how out of touch the political elite are with the people they claim to honor. It’s as if they believe that as long as the right buzzwords are uttered and the right ribbons are pinned, the public won’t notice the indifference that lurks behind their words. But make no mistake, the veterans of this country, those "of one stripe" that Kirby so dismissively referenced, are watching. And they deserve far better than to be casually cast aside as political nuisances.
So the next time we hear hollow promises from those in power about their commitment to veterans, let us remember Kirby’s words. They may have been a mistake, but they were also the most brutally honest thing to come out of the White House in quite some time.
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