Video of Joe Biden Rejecting Prospect of Taliban Takeover Watched 8 Million Times

Footage of President Joe Biden rejecting the notion of a Taliban takeover in Afghanistan when asked in July has been watched 8 million times.

The commander-in-chief had the question put to him during a press conference on July 8 regarding the drawdown of U.S. military operations in the country.

After Biden made a statement on the matter of the Afghanistan mission concluding on August 31, he was asked: "Is a Taliban takeover of Afghanistan now inevitable?"

To this he replied: "No, it is not."

He added: "Because you—the Afghan troops have 300,000 well-equipped—as well-equipped as any army in the world—and an air force against something like 75,000 Taliban. It is not inevitable."

Biden was also asked: "Do you trust the Taliban, Mr. President?"

Responding to this, he said: "Do I trust the Taliban? No. But I trust the capacity of the Afghan military, who is better trained, better equipped, and more re-—more competent in terms of conducting war."

A clip of Biden's answer to the question as to whether a Taliban takeover was inevitable, as well as further comments surrounding the prospect of a government collapse in Afghanistan, was shared to Twitter by @polarisnatsec on August 13.

It has been viewed 8 million times at time of writing.

In further remarks in the footage, Biden said: "The Afghan government and leadership has to come together. They clearly have the capacity to sustain the government in place."

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani fled the country as the Taliban entered the nation's capital of Kabul on Sunday.

The fall of the nation's government and military to the Taliban comes just weeks after Biden's aforementioned remarks.

The Associated Press reports that the Taliban will soon announce the renaming of the country to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan from the presidential palace.

Taliban spokesman and negotiator Suhail Shaheen, told The Associated Press that the militants were planning to hold talks aimed at forming an "open, inclusive Islamic government."

He told the BBC the Taliban was awaiting a peaceful transfer of power.

Another quote from the July 8 conference has also been discussed on social media, with Biden having said: "There's going to be no circumstances where you're going to see people being lifted off the roof of a U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan."

Images have shown helicopters taking people from the roof of the U.S. embassy in Kabul. Many others have attempted to flee the nation.

The decision to withdraw from Afghanistan was first made under the administration of former President Donald Trump. The withdrawal was initiated under Biden.

Biden and Trump have both questioned each other's actions in regard to Afghanistan.