Former President Donald Trump marked the third anniversary of the Afghanistan withdrawal on Monday by honouring the 13 U.S. service members who died during the chaotic evacuation from Kabul.
Trump attended a private event with the families of the fallen at Arlington National Cemetery.
At the same time, President Biden remained on vacation at his beach house in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, for the second consecutive week.
The tragic incident on August 2626, 2021, involved an ISIS-K suicide bomber, Abdul Rahman al-Logari, who detonated an explosive vest outside the Abbey Gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport, killing 13 American troops and nearly 200 Afghan civilians.
In Washington, the White House released statements from both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to commemorate the anniversary.
Neither had public events scheduled for the day. Biden praised the fallen service members as “patriots in the highest sense,” noting that they embodied the “very best of who we are as a nation.”
Harris highlighted the administration’s ongoing efforts to combat terrorism without deploying troops, defending the decision to end the war in Afghanistan as the “right decision.”
Trump and his team have strongly criticized Biden’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal, arguing that the administration has failed to honour the service members’ sacrifices properly.
Trump adviser Brian Hughes issued a statement emphasizing the “stark contrast” between Trump’s military leadership and what he described as the failures of the Biden-Harris administration.
The private event at Arlington was seen as a pointed reminder of the administration’s role in the withdrawal, particularly after Harris had previously stated that she was “the last person in the room” when the decision was made.
On Monday, she reiterated her support for the withdrawal, calling it a necessary and courageous move.
Trump has maintained close ties with the Gold Star families affected by the tragedy—several family members, including Christy Shamblin, mother-in-law of Marine Sgt.
Nicole Gee praised Trump for his empathy and support, contrasting it with what they view as Biden’s neglect.
Shamblin noted that Trump spent hours with the families at his Bedminster property, allowing them to grieve and remember their loved ones.
Trump has consistently criticized the Biden administration for what he sees as a disastrous and embarrassing withdrawal from Afghanistan.
In a Truth Social post on Monday, Trump called the event the “most EMBARRASSING moment in the history of our Country,” blaming it for encouraging adversaries like Russia and Iran and leading to subsequent global conflicts.
The withdrawal remains a profoundly emotional and contentious issue, especially among the families of the fallen.
Mark Schmitz, whose son Marine Cpl. Jared Schmitz was among those killed, expressed his outrage at a recent comment by Biden, who claimed during a debate that no U.S. troops had died under his watch.
Schmitz described his frustration, saying, “It took all self-restraint not to put my fist right through my TV,” reflecting the ongoing anger and sense of betrayal felt by many who lost loved ones in the withdrawal.
