Gold Star families spoke out against Vice President Kamala Harris after she weighed in on the controversy surrounding former President Donald Trump’s visit to Arlington Cemetery to honor the 13 soldiers killed in the Biden administration’s Afghanistan withdrawal.
Harris posted a tweet Saturday slamming Trump for filming videos while honoring the fallen soldiers, adding that she, unlike the former president, “will always honor the service and sacrifice of all of America’s fallen heroes.” Eight Gold Star families took to Twitter to rebuke Harris’s comments, explaining that they invited Trump to the cemetery for the ceremony and have never heard from the vice president in the three years since they lost their children in the August 2021 terrorist attack in Kabul. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Gold Star Families Had Trouble Getting Trump Into Arlington Until House Speaker Intervened)
“This is Mark Schmitz, gold star father of Marine Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz. Here we are in a beautiful holiday weekend day, I got to stop what I’m doing, spending time with what’s left of my family, to address a heinous, vile and disgusting post put out by Kamala Harris trying to incite those that don’t follow the truth that President Trump was in Arlington as a political stunt – shows you how much you know about the 13 families, we invited him to be there,” Schmitz said in a video, posted by Trump on Twitter in a reply to Harris’ tweet.
“Groundwork was put into place by Congressman Issa’s office to make sure we followed protocol. Why did we want Trump there? It wasn’t to help his political campaign. We wanted a leader — that explains why you and Joe didn’t get a call. Imagine for a second that your kid is killed. There’s a president in the United States willing to take you under his wing and listen to you. That’s what we found in President Trump, certainly not you, and certainly not Joe Biden,” Schmitz continues in the nearly three minute video continues.
Mark Schmitz, Father of Lance Corporal Jared M. Schmitz… https://t.co/CHNRzcTa0J pic.twitter.com/pRLF9tS7Jn
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 1, 2024
“You have 13 families who have been waiting over three years to so much as get a phone call, to so much as hear our kids names said aloud in the halls of Congress, the State of the Union, hell, anything. The irony behind your post, that you give a rat’s ass about our military or our veterans, Jared’s brothers and sisters in arms, the rest of the 12, their brothers and sisters in arms, is an outright lie. We’re living proof of that. You’re despicable. You have zero business running this country. And I pray to God Americans wake the hell up. and get your ass out of office. You have spit in our face for the last fucking time,” he finishes.
Steve Nikoui, Father of Lance Corporal Kareem M. Nikoui… https://t.co/CHNRzcTa0J pic.twitter.com/e7uRJo8ViA
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 1, 2024
Trump’s trip to Arlington National Cemetery came under fire after NPR reported that there was a physical altercation between a campaign official and an Arlington National Cemetery staffer over photograph restrictions in Section 60, where fallen soldiers of recent American wars lay. The Trump team denied the story and a source familiar with the event conversations told the Daily Caller that the Gold Star families were okay with a campaign photographer taking photos of the ceremony.
Ahead of the ceremony, a Gold Star family told the Caller that Arlington National Cemetery was trying to put restrictions in place to block Trump’s visit — despite it being the families’ request. The situation escalated, causing Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to intervene to help Trump be able to participate in the ceremony, a Gold Star family told the Caller.
Neither Biden nor Harris participated in a public event to honor the 13 fallen soldiers killed during their administration’s Afghanistan withdrawal. Rather, they issued statements the morning of the anniversary while Trump visited Arlington National Cemetery.
“It is not a place for politics. And yet, as was reported this week, Donald Trump’s team chose to film a video there, resulting in an altercation with cemetery staff. Let me be clear: the former president disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt. This is nothing new from Donald Trump. This is a man who has called our fallen service members ‘suckers’ and ‘losers’ and disparaged Medal of Honor recipients,” Harris tweeted on Saturday about the NPR report. (RELATED: Trump Denies Report That He Called Fallen American Soldiers ‘Losers,’ Calls The Story A ‘Fraud’)
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.
It is not a place for politics.
And…
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 31, 2024
Darin Hoover, the father of the late Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, Coral Doolittle, the mother of the late Corporal Humberto A. Sanchez, Jaclyn Schmitz, the mother of the late Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz, Steve Nikoui, the father of the late Lance Corporal Kareem M. Nikoui, Jim McCollum, the father of the late Lance Corporal Rylee McCollum, Herman Lopez, the father of the late Corporal Hunter Lopez, Christy Shamblin, the mother-in-law of the late Sergeant Nicole Gee and Schmitz all filmed videos in response to Harris, which were posted to Twitter by Trump.
“Vice President Harris, my name is Christy Shamblin. My daughter in law, Sergeant Nicole Leanne Gee, was killed in the Afghanistan exit at Abbey Gate on August 26, 2021. This year, for the third year anniversary of her murder, we welcomed President Donald J. Trump to Arlington to lay a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with our family and to visit the cold graveside. President Trump and his team were respectful. They listened to our stories and didn’t talk much at all. We welcomed them that day, and they were a comfort to our family,” Shamblin said in the first video of the series posted to Twitter.
“Vice President Harris, I ask you, why won’t you return a call and explain to us how you call my daughter-in-law’s death a success? Vice President Harris, why will you not express your condolences yourself. Why have we never heard from you? And finally, why would you take a day where we celebrated the death of our loved one and use it to disparage not only them but us? President Trump has called. President Trump shows up. President Trump takes the time to hear our loved one’s stories. Why won’t you do the same, vice president?” she finished.
Christy Shamblin, Mother-In-Law of Sergeant Nicole Gee… https://t.co/CHNRzcTa0J pic.twitter.com/aAtRHE454N
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 1, 2024
The Biden administration later reviewed its Afghanistan withdrawal in April 2023. The internal report wrote that Trump was to blame for the botched withdrawal because he had previously negotiated with the Taliban, agreed on a withdrawal date and failed to leave the Biden administration a comprehensive plan on how the operation should be carried out.
Harris has previously said she was the “last person in the room” with Biden when he decided to pull troops and American citizens out of the country. And amid all the backlash, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in April 2023 that the president was “proud” of its operation.
Jim McCollum, Father of Lance Corporal Rylee McCollum… https://t.co/CHNRzcTa0J pic.twitter.com/BQWZIcZjka
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 1, 2024
“Vice President Harris, my name is Jim McCollum. I am the Gold Star father of United States Marine Corps Lance Corporal Riley McCollum, killed in Afghanistan August 26, 2021. Your recent remarks related to Trump’s visit to Arlington are filled with nothing but lies and deceit. How do you sleep at night knowing it was you, this administration, you and Biden, you being the last one in the room are responsible for the death of our 13 kids. You failed for three years and eight months to acknowledge our kids, but to acknowledge me. You don’t know me. You’ve never spoken to me. You’ve never reached out to me,” McCollum said in a video.
“You have failed in your duties as vice president. You have been nothing but disrespectful to me and the families of the 13. Yet you’re claiming that you will always be respectful and show respect for our fallen, you’ve been absent for three years and eight months. You’ve proven that you’re not capable to do the job that you have, let alone the job that you seek,” he continued.