Politics

From Allegedly Checking His Watch To Tone-Deaf Comments, Biden’s History With Gold-Star Families Is Not Stellar

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(Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

Virginia Kruta Associate Editor
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From allegedly checking his watch repeatedly to comments that seem somewhat tone deaf, President Joe Biden has had a complicated history with Gold Star families.

Biden’s interactions with surviving family members became a sticking point after he met with the families of the 13 U.S. service members who were killed in a terrorist attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, and a number of those he met with complained about his attitude. (RELATED: ‘My Life Changed Forever’: Gold Star Dad Describes Waiting For Marines To Tell Him His Son Died In Kabul)

Several said that Biden checked his watch — not just once, but several times — during the Dignified Transfer Ceremony at Dover Air Force Base, a move that made them feel as though attending the ceremony was a chore.

“That happened on every single one of them,” Darin Hoover, whose son was Marine Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, told Sean Hannity.

Mark Schmitz, who also lost his son Marine LCPL Jared Schmitz in Kabul, said he had noticed it as well.

Gold Star mother Shana Chappell, who lost her son Marine LCPL Kareem Nikoui, said in a Facebook post that Biden had repeatedly attempted to turn the conversation back to the loss of his own son, Beau — and that when she and others had reminded him that it was not about him, he had seemed annoyed.

Remember i am the one who stood 5 inches from your face and was letting you know i would never get to hug my son again, hear his laugh and then you tried to interrupt me and give me your own sob story and i had to tell you ‘that this isn’t about you so don’t make it about you!!!’ You then said you just wanted me to know that you know how i feel and i let you know that you don’t know how i feel and you do not have the right to tell me you know how i feel! U then rolled your f**king eyes in your head like you were annoyed with me and i let you know that the only reason i was talking to you was out of respect for my son and that was the only reason why, i then proceeded to tell you again how you took my son away from me and how i will never get to hug him, kiss him, laugh with him again etc… u turned to walk away and i let you know my sons blood was on your hands and you threw your hand up behind you as you walked away from me like you were saying “ ok whatever!!!

Biden’s uncomfortable interactions with Gold Star families did not just begin with his presidency, however.

Mike Iubelt, the father of the fallen Army Pfc. Tyler Iubelt, met with Biden in 2016 when he was still the vice president. He told The Washington Examiner in October 2019 that the meeting was a “horrible experience” that left him “feeling worse.”

“He told my daughter-in-law … that she was too pretty for this to happen to her,” Iubelt said. “It’s probably a good thing that he was surrounded by Secret Service, probably for both of us, because I’d probably be locked up in jail right now.”

Schmitz summed up their feelings in a brief statement to the Daily Caller, saying that Biden’s behavior toward the families of those who had made the ultimate sacrifice for their country spoke to his abilities as a leader.

“If a four-star general or admiral can put some faith and hope back in my heart that my son’s life meant something to them and this country — but our president can’t — that may say something about his ability to be a ‘leader,'” he said.