President Joe Biden stated that he is dedicated to evacuating every American from Afghanistan and that US forces will remain in Afghanistan beyond the August 31 deadline if necessary.

Biden told ABC News that the US will do "all in our power" to get Americans and allies out of Afghanistan by the deadline.

Up to 15,000 Americans are said to still be in Afghanistan after the Taliban seized complete control of the country.

Biden also rebutted claims that the US should have done more to organize for the evacuation and departure, which has been marred by violence and disarray.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated earlier this week that the US military in Afghanistan does not have the personnel or weaponry to expand its present mission beyond guarding the Kabul airport to collecting Americans and at-risk Afghans across the capital and transporting them to safety. In terms of airlift speed, Austin added, "we're not near to where we want to be." He claimed he was most concerned about the airport, which he said was under "a number of threats" that needed to be watched.

According to Austin, roughly 4,500 US troops were stationed at the airport, ensuring security for the State Department-led evacuation effort, which has been marred by varying degrees of disorder and uncertainty.

Over the course of 24 hours, nearly 2,000 passengers, including 325 Americans, boarded 18 US Air Force C-17 cargo planes, according to John Kirby, the Pentagon's senior spokesperson.

He said that the government was also considering how to address another issue: Afghan security forces' abandoning of a variety of military equipment, weapons, and planes that had fallen into the hands of the Taliban or other terrorist organizations. “Obviously, we don't want our equipment to fall into the hands of those who would act against our interests or the interests of the Afghan people, increasing violence and insecurity within Afghanistan,” Kirby said.