Gold Star families slammed Kamala Harris after the Democrat presidential candidate essentially accused them of prostituting themselves as political props for GOP candidate Donald Trump.
The families of the 13 military members killed in the Aug. 26, 2021 terror attack on Kabul airport during the botched Biden-Harris withdrawal from Afghanistan had invited Trump to be on hand at Arlington National Cemetery for the 3rd anniversary ceremony honoring the fallen soldiers.
Harris posted to X on Saturday: "As Vice President, I have had the privilege of visiting Arlington National Cemetery several times. It is a solemn place; a place where we come together to honor American heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of this nation. It is not a place for politics."
Harris went on to call Trump's appearance at Arlington a "political stunt" and then repeated the lie that Trump had referred to Medal of Honor recipients as "suckers" and "losers."
Trump posted to X videos in response to Harris from Darin Hoover, the father of the late Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover; Coral Doolittle, the mother of the late Corporal Humberto A. Sanchez; Jaclyn Schmitz, the mother of the late Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz; Steve Nikoui, the father of the late Lance Corporal Kareem M. Nikoui; Jim McCollum, the father of the late Lance Corporal Rylee McCollum; Herman Lopez, the father of the late Corporal Hunter Lopez; and Christy Shamblin, the mother-in-law of the late Sergeant Nicole Gee and Schmitz
Christy Shamblin, Mother-In-Law of Sergeant Nicole Gee… https://t.co/CHNRzcTa0J pic.twitter.com/aAtRHE454N
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 1, 2024
Jim McCollum, Father of Lance Corporal Rylee McCollum… https://t.co/CHNRzcTa0J pic.twitter.com/BQWZIcZjka
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 1, 2024
Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance noted: “What is the bigger scandal: That Donald Trump was invited to stand by a graveside and actually accepted the invitation or that Kamala Harris let 13 brave Americans die because she’s a failure of a leader?”
Harris has boasted about being the “last person in the room” with Joe Biden when he decided to pull troops and American citizens out of Afghanistan. Biden has said he is "proud" of the withdrawal operation.
Neither Biden nor Harris participated in a public event to honor the 13 fallen soldiers killed during their administration’s Afghanistan withdrawal.
Biden was on hand for the dignified transfer of the 13 troops killed in the Kabul airport terror attack but was photographed repeatedly checking his watch during the ceremony.
In an interview with Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton on Sunday's "Meet the Press" broadcast, NBC personality Kristen Welker lied when she said that Harris had also been on the dignified transfer ceremony. She was not.
NBC posted a correction on X after the show, writing: "On our broadcast this morning, we incorrectly implied that both President Biden and Vice President Harris attended the dignified transfer of 13 American service members killed during the Afghanistan withdrawal."
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In her X post about the Trump Arlington visit, Harris also slammed the Trump campaign team for taking photographs at the ceremony. Gold Star family members maintained that they had asked Trump for photographs, as opposed to Trump taking pictures to advance his campaign. In one video, the father of Marine Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz called Harris' post "heinous, vile and disgusting."
"Why did we want Trump there? It wasn't to help his political campaign," Mark Schmitz said in the video. "We wanted a leader. That explains why you and Joe didn't get a call."
Darren Hoover, the father of Marine Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, said that Harris lacks "empathy and basic understanding" about the Aug. 26 event, and stressed that Trump's appearance was respectful.
"In keeping with the reverence and respect that is given to all members of our military that are buried there, we invited President Trump," he said. "We are the ones that asked for the video and the pictures to be taken at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier."
Hoover also added that Trump has "been there for us from the very beginning," and criticized Harris for "playing politics" over the incident.
"You should be ashamed and embarrassed [about] your lack of empathy and decency as a human being," the father added. "You are only in this for the power and prestige. You don't care for our military or the citizens of this country. You should hang your head in shame at your actions or lack thereof."
Steve Nikoui, Father of Lance Corporal Kareem M. Nikoui… https://t.co/CHNRzcTa0J pic.twitter.com/e7uRJo8ViA
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 1, 2024
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 2, 2024
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