Families of the 13 fallen United States servicemembers who were killed during the Biden administration’s Afghanistan withdrawal criticized Vice President Kamala Harris’s statement criticizing Trump’s visit to Arlington National Cemetery.
Darin Hoover, the father of Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover; Coral Doolittle, the mother of Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez; Jaclyn, and Mark Schmitz, the mother and father of Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz; Steve Nikoui, the father of Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui; Jim McCollum, the father of Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum; Herman Lopez, father of Marine Corps Cpl. Hunter Lopez; and Christy Shamblin, the mother-in-law of Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole Gee criticized a statement from Harris in videos released by former President Donald Trump on Truth Social.
In the videos, the families praised Trump as having treated them with “the utmost respect, compassion, and understanding,” and as someone who has “taken the time” to listen to the families’ “stories” and help the families “get some accountability” from the Biden administration. The families criticized Harris for “playing politics” and issuing a “heinous, vile and disgusting” statement that was a “political spin” to help her look better.
“Kamala, we have been treated with the utmost respect, compassion, and understanding by President Trump, something you and Joe Biden have refused to do since August 26, 2021,” Hoover said in his video. “Where were you and Joe Biden on August 26, 2024? Nowhere near Arlington Cemetery. You couldn’t be bothered to be with us or even say our kid’s names, just as you had done for the last three years. Neither one of you have called to speak with us or share in our grief. I wonder Kamala, do you sleep at night securely in your bed or do you have nightmares of our kids because it was your incompetence and negligence that got our kids murdered? It is you who sent out messages on social media that are outright lies. It is you that has disrespected our families. It is you who knows nothing about service and sacrifice. It is you that has divided this country. And, it is you who is unfit to be the commander-in-chief. These are the only memories we get to make with our son. And, it is you who is playing politics and trying to detract from our memories made that day.”
“The events that happened on August 26, 2024, with President Trump at Arlington National Cemetery, were solemn and in keeping with the reverence and respect that is given to all members of our military that are buried there. We invited President Trump,” Hoover explained in his video shared by Trump. “We are the ones that asked for the video and the pictures to be taken at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.”
Hoover’s video comes days after NPR released an article claiming that officials from the Trump campaign had gotten into a “verbal and physical altercation” with a cemetery official who had been trying to prevent the Trump campaign from filming and taking photos in Section 60 of the cemetery.
In response to the article and allegations, Steven Cheung, a spokesman for the Trump campaign, issued a statement that a “private photographer was permitted on the premises.”
“Kamala your statement is nothing more than a political spin to help you look better in your presidential campaign against Donald Trump,” Jaclyn Schmitz said in her video. “You have never walked a single day in our shoes. Our kids were murdered because of your administration. And, you are partly to blame for that as well. What happened at Arlington – President Trump was invited by those families who have their soldiers buried at Arlington.”
Jaclyn Schmitz added the “one thing” Harris said in her statement that was true.
“No one should be running for president if they cannot honor military members, their families, as well as veterans,” Jaclyn Schmitz added. “So, I guess that means you should step down Kamala.”