Biden is angry, humiliated and desperate. Yet he has not yet reached the dregs. The finger pointing, accusations of betrayal, the scramble to pass the buck are only just beginning.
It is the loss of confidence in assessments, assurances and estimates that will be noticed next.
In disasters of this magnitude heads have got to roll. Yet the one man most responsible will be the one to do the head rolling, ensuring that the next time — and there will be a next time — it will be worse.