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'Worst crash in US history': Joe Biden's approval rating dips post Afghanistan crisis

Joe Biden noted that the crisis in Afghanistan has lasted through four US presidents and that 'the buck stops here' 

After President Joe Biden finally addressed the nation on Monday, August 16, 2021, on the Afghanistan crisis, social media brewed up a storm. And unsurprisingly, Biden has hit the lowest point of his White House tenure as the criticism continued. The latest reports reveal that the President's, who assumed office early this year in January 2021, approval ratings have dipped slightly to 50 percent.

According to FiveThirtyEight's tracker, which puts together a weighted average of polling, the president's approval rating is 50 percent. Biden, who had just left the Camp David presidential retreat, threatened "devastating force" against the Taliban if they were to interfere with the US evacuating from Afghanistan.

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Reports say that that figure as of August 13, marked the lowest point the tracker has hit thus far since January. His disapproval rating of 43.8 percent is also at its highest point so far. In the first rating polled after Biden entered office, his approval was reportedly at 53 percent and disapproval at 36 percent.

While Biden said he's "responsible" for what has happened, he also noted that the crisis in Afghanistan has lasted through four US presidents and that "the buck stops here." He added that he will not "pass the responsibility [of removing troops from Afghanistan] to a fifth president."

As per senior military officials, Monday's chaos at the Kabul airport left seven people dead. This includes the people who fell from a departing American military transport jet.

In his address, the President threatened "devastating force" against the Taliban if they interfere with US plans of removing troops and allies from Afghanistan. "We've made it clear to the Taliban [that] if they attack our personnel, or disrupt our operation - the US... response will be swift and forceful. We will defend our people with devastating force if necessary," he told fellow Americans. 

In the televised address to the nation, Biden said, "Our mission in Afghanistan was never supposed to have been nation-building. It was never supposed to be creating a unified centralized democracy. Our only interest in Afghanistan remains today what it has always been, preventing a terrorist attack on America's homeland. I have argued for many years that our mission should be narrowly focused on counterterrorism, not counterinsurgency or nation-building."

Social media is abuzz with Biden's fallen ratings. "For the first time ever, Joe Biden's overall approval ratings are below 50%" one tweeted. Another wrote, "I just looked on the site FiveThirtyEight which showcases Joe Biden's weekly approval ratings and this week he has a 49% approval and a 44% disapproval rating, holy crap what a downfall."

Another user wrote, "Me: “Siri, show me the worst crash in US history” Siri: “Between August 13 2021 and August 16 2021, the approval ratings of President Joe Biden.."

"The results of the #BidenFailure in foreign policy. Tens of thousands are now destined to die and/or be subjugated, thanks to @JoeBiden 's team playing games with their lives just so they could have a "win" to report to boost their approval ratings. #kabulairport #Kabul2021 #Kabul" one user shared blaming him.