As Vice President, I have had the privilege of visiting Arlington National Cemetery several times. 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.Former President Donald Trump claimed Vice President Kamala Harris fabricated controversy surrounding his recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery to honor the 13 fallen soldiers on the third anniversary of the Abbey Gate bombing in Afghanistan.
Over the weekend, Harris released a statement that framed Trump's appearance at Arlington Cemetery earlier in the week as a "political stunt" that "disrespected sacred ground." Her statement further claimed there was an altercation between some of Trump's team and cemetery staff and repeated Trump's disputed "suckers" and "losers" quote.
It is not a place for politics.
And…
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 31, 2024
Trump clarified the controversy in a Tuesday post on Truth Social.
"There was no conflict or 'fighting' at Arlington National Cemetery last week," Trump wrote. "It was a made up story by Comrade Kamala and her misinformation squad. She made it all up to make up for the fact that she and Sleepy Joe have BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS for the INCOMPETENT AFGHANISTAN Withdrawal - THE MOST EMBARRASSING DAY IN U.S. HISTORY!!!"
The former president then said Harris and President Joe Biden should have also attended the memorial at Arlington Cemetery rather than vacationing at the beach or "studying for a debate."
"Thank you to my friends, the GREAT GOLD STAR FAMILIES, for revealing the TRUTH OF A BEAUTIFUL DAY OF HONOR," he concluded. "Could not have been a nicer moment-And there were no fights or problems, only in the heads of those that are destroying our Country! MAGA2024."
The families of two fallen soldiers, Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover and Sgt. Nicole Gee, released a statement thanking and expressing appreciation for Trump's attendance at the cemetery to honor their loved ones.
"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," the families wrote.
The families also noted they had given their explicit approval for Trump's official videographer and photographer to attend and document the event.
Shortly after Harris' weekend statement framing Trump's attendance at Arlington Cemetery as a political move, seven of the thirteen Gold Star families issued a statement denouncing the vice president's attack.
The families of Sgt. Gee and Staff Sgt. Hoover also penned the letter and were joined by the families of Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, Cpl. Hunter Lopez, Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, all of whom were tragically killed during the nation's withdrawal from Afghanistan. "We, the families of the brave service members who were tragically killed in the Abbey Gate bombing, are appalled by Vice President Kamala Harris' recent attempts to politicize President Trump's visit to Arlington National Cemetery," the families wrote. "President Trump was invited by us, the Gold Star families, to attend the solemn ceremonies commemorating the three-year anniversary of our children's deaths. He was there to honor their sacrifice, yet Vice President Harris has disgracefully twisted this sacred moment into a political ploy." The families asserted Harris and Biden bore responsibility for the deaths of the 13 fallen soldiers who perished during their mission. "Her administration's catastrophic mishandling of the Afghanistan withdrawal directly led to the murder of 13 service members, including our children," they continued. "Despite our multiple requests for a meeting to discuss the loss of our loved ones, Vice President Harris has repeatedly ignored us, showing a complete lack of empathy and accountability." The letter added Harris' "refusal to face the consequences of her administration's decisions" was a "deep betrayal" of Gold Star families and also asserted the vice president "has proven herself unfit to serve as Commander-in-Chief." "Her actions, both in the failure of the Afghanistan withdrawal and in her disgraceful politicization of this anniversary, have shown that she lacks the judgment, compassion, and leadership required for the position," they concluded. "We will continue to hold her accountable for the role she played in the deaths of our children, and we will not stand by as she disrespects their memory. America deserves better. Our children deserved better."
