Families of US Marines killed in Afghanistan rebuke Kamala Harris
Gold Star families, whose loved ones were killed during the Kabul airport terrorist attack amid the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, have strongly criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for her recent social media statements denouncing former President Donald Trump’s conduct during a visit to Arlington National Cemetery. The families are particularly aggrieved by Harris' neglectful attitude toward their losses.
The controversy erupted after Harris accused Trump of disrespecting Arlington’s “sacred ground” for a “political stunt.” This was in reference to Trump’s visit to the cemetery with the families.
“As Vice President, I have had the privilege of visiting Arlington National Cemetery several times,” Harris wrote on X. “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. And yet, as was reported this week, Donald Trump’s team chose to film a video there, resulting in an altercation with cemetery staff.”
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Responding to Harris, also on X on Labor Day, the former president thanked “the families of our Great Warriors who have been lost to us for the way they came together as one, and thanked me for attending, at their request, the Celebration of their wonderful family members who, because of the Incompetence of Kamala Harris and Joe Biden, are no longer with us.”
Trump also shared several videos from the Gold Star families. These included clips from both attendees and non-invitees to the memorial event at Arlington National Cemetery.
One video featured Mark Schmitz, father of Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz, clarifying that their invitation to Trump was not politically motivated but a desire for empathetic leadership. “We wanted a leader,” Schmitz stated in a video featured by The Washington Examiner.
Jim McCollum, another Gold Star father whose son, Lance Corporal Rylee McCollum, also died in the attack, expressed his dismay by directly addressing Harris in the video: “How do you sleep at night knowing it was you, this administration, you and Biden, you, being the last one in the room, are responsible for the death of our 13 kids,” he said.
“You have failed for three years and eight months to acknowledge our kids, to acknowledge me. You don’t know me, you’ve never spoken to me, you’ve never reached out to me, you have failed in your duty as vice president,” McCollum added.
Trump’s visit to Arlington National Cemetery was deemed by some political opponents as controversial because of a reported altercation involving a cemetery official and a Trump campaign staffer, according to CBS News. The incident reportedly occurred when a Trump staffer was reprimanded by the cemetery official for trying to bring “campaign designated media” onto the grounds, a violation of federal law that governs filming in Army National Military Cemeteries for partisan purposes.
Despite the confrontation, which was handled by the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall Police Department, the Army considers the matter closed as the employee involved chose not to press charges.
Five family members of two of the 13 service members killed three years ago released a statement on Truth Social last week expressing gratitude to Trump for his attendance at the cemetery.
“The president and his team conducted themselves with nothing but the utmost respect and dignity for all of our service members, especially our beloved children,” they stated. “We had given our approval for President Trump’s official videographer and photographer to attend the event, ensuring these sacred moments of remembrance were respectfully captured and so we can cherish these memories forever.”
The family members concluded by saying that Trump’s “compassion and respect meant more than words can express.”
At the Republican National Convention in July, relatives of the service members killed spoke on stage, criticizing President Biden for not acknowledging their loved ones by name, CBS News noted.
In a group statement, seven of the 13 families rebuked Harris for politicizing Trump’s attendance, which they insisted was at their request to honor the anniversary of their children’s deaths. “President Trump was there to honor their sacrifice, yet Vice President Harris has disgracefully twisted this sacred moment into a political ploy,” they stated, according to the Daily Beast.
