Biden’s Message on Afghanistan Withdrawal Draws Critics

President Biden has delivered regular remarks about the widening U.S. evacuation efforts in Afghanistan that critics say often paint a rosier picture than the facts on the ground warrant and at times deflect blame for the rapidly deteriorating situation.

Mr. Biden has sometimes appeared to play down the difficulties facing Americans and Afghan allies trying to get to Kabul’s airport; he has glossed over domestic and international disagreements about his approach; and he has made a contested case that last week’s chaos was inevitable.

On Tuesday, as the Taliban warned they would prevent Afghans from...