Former President Donald Trump’s campaign unveiled a new ad on Monday featuring GOP veteran lawmakers recalling the Abbey Gate suicide bombing that left 13 service members dead at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.
The ad, titled “Veterans on Abbey Gate,” included several Republican lawmakers criticizing President Joe Biden’s leadership during the withdrawal and subsequent bombing that killed over a dozen service members on August 26, 2021. In contrast, the lawmakers point out Trump’s treatment of Gold Star families whose relatives died during “one of the deepest failures” in recent American military history. (RELATED: Biden Admin ‘Finally’ Acknowledges Abbey Gate Bomber Was Freed From Afghan Prison At Abandoned Air Base)
“What would any one of those families give for one more minute of time, ten more seconds of time, with the individual that’s laying under that flag-draped casket?” Republican Rep. Brian Mast of Florida, who served in the United States Army, said in the ad. “What would they give for the one more hug, one more word? They’d give anything in the world for it.”
“Looking at Afghanistan, it’s probably one of the deepest failures, militarily, in my lifetime,” Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke of Montana, who served as a United States Navy Seal, said in the ad.
Biden’s botched withdrawal killed roughly 170 civilians on top of the 13 American troops and left behind roughly $7 billion worth of military equipment that is now in the hands of the Taliban. Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the Biden-Harris State Department, called the withdrawal the “correct policy choice” just two days after the Gold Star families spoke out against the withdrawal in August 2023.
“I’ve dealt with Gold Star families my entire military career, and naturally, the grief is deep and palpable,” Republican Rep. Mike Waltz of Florida, who served in the National Guard, said in the video. “But I’ve never dealt with a group that’s so angry at Biden and how they’ve been treated.”
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA – AUGUST 26: Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump (2R) holds his hand over his heart alongside (L-R) Marlon Bateman, Marine Cpl. Kelsee Lainhart (Ret.) and U.S. Marine Corps. Sergeant Tyler Vargas-Andrews (Ret.) during a wreath-laying ceremony to honor the lives of those who died at the Abbey Gate Bombing, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on August 26, 2024 in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Leading up to the withdrawal, several White House officials like Secretary of State Antony Blinken, then-White House press secretary Jen Psaki and the president himself, went on vacation. Biden was also captured in various photos and videos checking his watch while he was waiting for the 13 fallen soldiers to return from overseas.
“So I said, you know, ‘I’m going to call President Trump,'” Waltz said. “It was literally a 30 second conversation. I laid this out, he said ‘Michael, get them up here.’ He was up at Bedminster, we arranged to get several families up there. We had scheduled about an hour for him to talk to them. He ended up spending about six hours with them.” (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Gold Star Mother Calls For Leadership ‘Change’ After Biden Falsely Claimed No Troops Died Under His Watch)
“Despite Harris’ ‘key role’ in the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, she has failed to express any regret with her administration’s actions,” Brian Hughes, senior advisor for the Trump campaign, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Unlike Kamala Harris, President Trump is willing to say the names of the 13 American heroes who paid the ultimate price for our country.”
Contrasting Trump’s military track record with the Biden-Harris administration’s, the veteran lawmakers said that the Republican nominee will continue to recognize the “service and sacrifice” of these Gold Star families.
“We need a commander in chief here in the future that’s not going to check his watch when he is welcoming those that paid the ultimate sacrifice,” Republican Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas, who served in the United States Army, said in the ad.
“While Kamala Harris fails soldiers and their families, President Trump never will,” Hughes told the DCNF. “Trump is the ultimate commander in chief and will work tirelessly to once again stand up and support our selfless troops and their family members.”
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
