"Scars of 9/11 Attacks on Twin Towers & Pentagon: Impact on Joe Biden's Presidency"

Joe Biden's presidency is being shaped by the scars of the 9/11 attacks, with Americans deeply distrustful of their government.

In September 2021, President Joe Biden marked the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks without U.S. troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, making him the first president in two decades to do so. However, the scars from that day continue to shape Biden's presidency in significant ways.

One of the lasting effects of the 9/11 attacks is the deep distrust and dissatisfaction that Americans feel towards their government. This sentiment gained traction, in part, due to the Iraq war and the false premises on which it was launched. This widespread distrust has made it difficult for Biden to govern effectively and poses a threat to his chances of winning a second term in next year's election.

According to Jeffrey Engel, director of the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University, Biden is leading an America where faith in government as a concept is at an all-time low. Only 20% of Americans surveyed by Pew Research Center last year expressed trust in the government in Washington to do the right thing most of the time. This lack of trust has persisted since George W. Bush's second term in office when the 9/11 attacks occurred.

The fallout from Biden's withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan two years ago continues to overshadow his presidency. Originally, Biden had announced that the pullout would be completed on the 20th anniversary of the attacks, but he eventually moved the deadline forward to August 31st. This decision was made after objections from Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who questioned how admitting defeat would honor the dead.

The chaotic final hours of the withdrawal on August 26, 2021, saw a terrorist attack at the Kabul airport that killed 13 U.S. troops and numerous Afghans. This attack infuriated Americans, angered U.S. allies, and raised questions about the Biden administration's handling of the pullout. Both Republicans and some Democrats in Congress criticized the administration for failing to anticipate Afghanistan's collapse and evacuate American troops more quickly. Gold Star families, who lost loved ones in action, are demanding transparency from the administration regarding what went wrong and why their loved ones died.

In his book "The Last Politician," author Franklin Foer recounts a tense moment when Biden met with some of the fallen soldiers' families at Dover Air Force Base. After the dignified transfer of the bodies, a sister of one of the deceased soldiers screamed at Biden, expressing her anger and wishing him ill. This incident caused Biden to second-guess himself and reanalyze his actions.

While the Biden administration acknowledged flaws in the withdrawal and admitted that they should have anticipated Afghanistan's fall sooner, they also placed blame on former President Donald Trump. They argued that Trump's decision to lower troop levels in Afghanistan and negotiate with the Taliban without consulting allies or the Afghan government set the stage for the chaotic withdrawal.

The skepticism and disillusionment that linger from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have also affected Biden's ability to secure emergency funding for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. Despite not involving the deployment of U.S. troops, American support for Ukraine has been eroding, especially as the Republican-led House faces pressure to show support for Trump, who has been skeptical of the war in Ukraine.

According to Engel, without the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent wars, there would have been no Trump presidency, and consequently, no President Biden. The combination of disillusionment and anger with the system fueled Trump's revolution within the Republican Party. Engel argues that the American misadventures in the Middle East, which were a direct result of 9/11, played a crucial role in shaping the political landscape that led to Trump's rise.

In the 2020 election, Biden's appeal to voters largely stemmed from their desire to return to normalcy after the turbulent Trump years. Engel believes that without a radical rupture and destruction of faith in the American government and society, there would be no need for a candidate like Biden, who promises to restore a sense of stability and competence.

In conclusion, the scars from the 9/11 attacks continue to shape President Biden's presidency. The deep distrust and dissatisfaction with the government, the fallout from the withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the lingering skepticism of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan all contribute to the challenges Biden faces in governing effectively and securing a second term. The impact of 9/11 on American society and politics cannot be underestimated, as it has had far-reaching consequences that continue to shape the country's trajectory.

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