Trump Lays Wreath At Arlington National Cemetery With Families Of Afghanistan Victims
Three years after the final American soldiers in Afghanistan fled in a hastily organized retreat, President Donald Trump traveled to Arlington National Cemetery to honor the members of 13 service members who died that day.
Ending the two-decade war was a top priority for President Joe Biden in his successful 2020 campaign, but questions remain about whether he rushed the decision in 2021 to pull all forces from Afghanistan before a peaceful transition of power could be established with governing authorities. Images of Kabul airport overrun with Afghans seeking refuge on the departing U.S. aircraft captured the minds of the public. During the chaos, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive killing 13 American soldiers and approximately 170 civilians. Those lives lost were reflected on by President Trump Monday morning as he helped soldiers lay a wreath on the graves of fallen service members.
Stationed behind Trump were family members of the fallen who looked on as the former president laid his heart over his hand and stood stoically as “Taps” played overheard. The ceremony was relayed live by Fox News, and viewer Greg Price noted on X that President Biden was spending the day on vacation at the beach while Vice President Harris lists nothing on her schedule.
Trump shared his thoughts on the ceremony in a lengthy Truth Social post. “This is the third anniversary of the BOTCHED Afghanistan withdrawal, the most EMBARRASSING moment in the history of our Country,” he posted. “Gross Incompetence – 13 DEAD American soldiers, hundreds of people wounded and dead, AMERICANS and BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT LEFT BEHIND. You don’t take our soldiers out first, you take them out LAST, when all else is successfully done. Russia then invaded Ukraine, Israel was attacked, and the USA became, and is, a laughing stock all over the World.”
The 2021 withdrawal has become a moment akin to the 2013 attack on a U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Iraq when four Americans were killed: Ambassador Chris Stevens, Information Officer Sean Smith, and two CIA operatives, Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods. Subsequent investigations faulted Hillary Clinton, then the U.S. Secretary of State, for failing to heed warnings about looming protests which later overran the facility. President Trump made the deadly lapse of judgment a centerpiece of his successful 2016 campaign; while the Afghanistan withdrawal has not played as notable a role this year, Monday’s ceremony was a tacit acknowledgment that it remains a vulnerability for Harris, especially among military veterans and their families.
The vice president’s campaign is still reeling from allegations that Minnesota Gov. and running mate Tim Walz misrepresented his military service and purposefully skipped a deployment to Afghanistan. Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), Trump’s running mate and himself a Navy veteran, has ripped his opponent for running for Congress in 2006 on a military title that was rescinded over his decision to avoid deploying so he could continue his campaign. Conservative critics have gone further, accusing Walz of “stolen valor” and tying the admission to lies that he has made about his drunk driving arrest, penchant for spicy foods, and family struggles with infertility.
President Trump’s campaign has touted a number of high-profile military endorsements his third time around, including retired Air Force captain Scott O’Grady, Medal of Honor recipient David Bellavia, and former U.S. Navy SEAL Michael E. Thornton, who also received the Medal of Honor.
