Politics

Trump Honors Kabul Bombing Anniversary With Gold Star Families As Biden Kicks Off Beach Vacation

Donald Trump Attends Wreath Laying Ceremony At Arlington National Cemetery

(Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Reagan Reese White House Correspondent
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Former President Donald Trump honored the third anniversary of the Kabul bombing that took the lives of 13 American soldiers as President Joe Biden kicked off his week-long vacation in Delaware.

Trump visited Arlington Cemetery on Monday to lay wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the graves of the service members killed during the Biden administration’s Afghanistan withdrawal. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris both issued a statement on the anniversary of the withdrawal, but neither have plans on their public schedule for an appearance to honor the fallen.

“These 13 Americans—and the many more that were wounded—were patriots in the highest sense. Some were born the year the war in Afghanistan started. Some were on their second or third tour. But all raised their hand to serve a cause greater than themselves—risking their own safety for the safety of their fellow Americans, Allies, and Afghan partners. They embodied the very best of who we are as a nation: brave, committed, selfless,” Biden wrote in his issued statement, listing the names of the fallen soldiers. The president is scheduled to stay in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, through Friday.

Harris’ statement obtained by the Daily Caller echoed the president’s statement and paid tribute to all the troops who served during the Afghanistan war.

“Today and everyday, I mourn and honor them. My prayers are with their families and loved ones.  My heart breaks for their pain and their loss.  These 13 devoted patriots represent the best of America, putting our beloved nation and their fellow Americans above themselves and deploying into danger to keep their fellow citizens safe,” the vice president, who is scheduled to hold internal meetings throughout the day, wrote.

After the Biden administration’s August 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan resulted in 13 American military personnel dying from a terrorist attack in Kabul, the president and his staff faced backlash for how it was conducted. The Gold Star parents have repeatedly spoken out against the president’s decision making and his failure to properly recognize their fallen children. (RELATED: ‘He And He Alone’: Gold Star Mother Says Biden Responsible For Terrorist Attack That Killed 13 Soldiers In Kabul)

After the withdrawal, the president stood by his staff as “no one offered to resign, in large part because the president didn’t believe anyone had made a mistake. Ending the war was always going to be messy,” Politico’s Alexander Ward writes in “The Internationalists: The Fight to Restore Foreign Policy After Trump,” which was obtained early by Axios.

“Biden told his top aides, [National Security Advisor Jake] Sullivan included, that he stood by them and they had done their best during a tough situation,” the book continues.

The administration released an internal review of its withdrawal in April 2023, finding that Trump was to blame for the botched withdrawal because he had ordered communication with the Taliban, negotiated a withdrawal date and, according to the report, failed to leave the Biden administration a comprehensive plan on how the operation should be carried out.

The vice president has previously said she was the “last person in the room” with the president when he made the decision to troops and American citizens out of the country. The Trump campaign has repeatedly hit Harris for her comments and role in the decision.

“By her own admission, Kamala Harris was a key player in the disastrous withdrawal. She bragged about being the last person in the room for the fateful decision, was ‘front and center’ for the security briefings, and even laughed as a reporter asked her about the American citizens still trapped in Afghanistan,” a campaign press release obtained by the Daily Caller read.

“Now, the families of the fallen — ignored by Harris and Biden — are still waiting for answers, three years after the worst moment of their lives,” the release continued.