Blinken says up to 1,500 US citizens still stranded in Kabul as Biden laughs off question

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday said that up to 1,500 US citizens are still stranded in Afghanistan — shortly after President Biden joked with a reporter who asked about possibly leaving Americans behind in the Taliban-controlled nation.

Blinken gave the figure after Biden administration officials repeatedly said they didn’t know how many Americans remain in Afghanistan as Biden prepares to remove all US troops within just days to adhere to an Aug. 31 deadline.

“Over the last 10 days, roughly 4,500 of these Americans have been safely evacuated along with immediate family members. Over the past 24 hours, we’ve been in direct contact with approximately 500 additional Americans and provided specific instructions on how to get to the airport safely,” Blinken said.