Biden gambles he can plow through Afghan crisis

President Biden made a big bet in his unapologetic speech from the White House on Monday.

“I stand squarely behind my decision” to withdraw all U.S. forces from Afghanistan, he said.

Biden’s gamble is that the American people will fundamentally agree with the decision — and that the traumatic images of the last few days will fade from voters’ minds rather than leave a lasting scar on his political reputation.

Biden is hoping that, in the end, voters will shrug their shoulders about the future of a faraway place in which...