Staff Reports
The families of 13 U.S. servicemembers who made the ultimate sacrifice during the botched Biden administration withdrawal from Afghanistan took exception to Vice President Kamala Harris’s recent attempt to score political points at Arlington National Cemetery. In a stunning display of tone-deafness, Harris chose to criticize former President Donald Trump while ignoring the grieving families who have been left with nothing but pain and anger since August 2021.
The families, including parents and loved ones of fallen Marines, shared videos on Truth Social highlighting their memories of Trump treating them with dignity and compassion, something they felt sorely lacking from Harris and President Biden. Instead of acknowledging their grief or honouring their lost loved ones, Harris launched a personal attack on Trump for filming a wreath-laying ceremony at this hallowed ground, essentially trying to shift the focus onto herself and her political agenda. The families wasted no time in calling out her actions as political grandstanding of the highest order, describing her statement as “heinous, vile, and disgusting.”
Families of Fallen U.S. Servicemembers Killed in Afghanistan Nuke Harris https://t.co/Xe2yrvqz4E
— Karoline Leavitt (@kleavittnh) September 1, 2024
Darin Hoover, father of Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, made his feelings clear in a video, questioning Harris and Biden’s absence from their lives during their darkest days. Instead of calling, comforting, or even remembering their sons, they were left to deal with their grief alone. Hoover questioned how Harris could find the nerve to criticize others while doing so little to support grieving families. His passionate appeal slammed Harris for her echoes of social media deceit and lack of respect while emphasizing how her administration has utterly failed the families of those who’ve lost their lives.
Harris’s political dabble at Arlington seems misguided, especially given that the families affirmatively invited Trump to join them for the tribute. Rather than rallying to commemorate their loved ones, Harris opted instead to use the solemn occasion to launch unfounded accusations. According to her, Trump’s visit was a “political stunt” that disrespected the sanctity of the cemetery. However, the Gold Star families made it abundantly clear that they welcomed Trump’s presence, leaving Harris’s claims to unravel under scrutiny.
This entire episode sheds light on a broader political issue. Harris’s insistence on “doing politics” in a place reserved for mourning revealed a tendency among some in the Democratic Party to prioritize rhetoric over respect. Other Gold Star families joined in the chorus against her, making clear that Harris’s disconnect from their experiences is shocking, to say the least. Families like Jaclyn Schmitz criticized her for embracing a narrative that focuses on political gain rather than genuine remorse for lives lost because of the policy failures of her administration.
Mark Schmitz, another father of a fallen Marine, didn’t mince words in addressing Harris’s outrageous comments about Trump’s visit. He pointed out that instead of recognizing the service those 13 men provided, she decided to use their tragedy to bolster her political standing. The outrage from these families shows that no matter the political temperature rising in D.C., the real heroes—those who paid the price—are not pawns to be played with when convenient. In the face of such sorrow, Harris’s political misfire only confirms that she—and, by extension, the Biden administration—are wholly unfit to lead.
