ATLANTA — Donald Trump’s campaign released a statement from Gold Star military families on Sunday, defending the Republican presidential nominee while accusing Vice President Kamala Harris of politicizing fallen U.S. service members. The families invited Trump to Arlington National Cemetery as he continues to challenge Harris on the Biden administration’s handling of the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, which resulted in the loss of 13 service members due to a suicide bombing.
Harris criticized Trump for what she termed a “political stunt” that “disrespected sacred ground” where many who died in the Afghanistan conflict are interred. In response, Trump and the families of the bombing victims expressed their belief that Harris, and previously President Joe Biden, are to blame for the deaths of their loved ones. They emphasized that Trump’s visit to Arlington was intended to honor their sacrifices.
Despite cemetery rules against partisan activities, the campaign shared photos from the visit, sparking further controversy.
“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,” the families stated. “He was there to honor their sacrifice, yet Vice President Harris has disgracefully twisted this sacred moment into a political ploy.”
During the visit, Trump honored Sgt. Nicole Gee, Staff Sgt. Darin Hoover, and Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss, who were among the 13 U.S. service members and over 100 Afghans killed in the Afghanistan airport bombing. Trump expressed his gratitude to the family members for their supportive statement.
Over the weekend, Trump utilized his social media platforms to share video testimonials from relatives who backed his visit. Christy Shamblin, Gee’s mother-in-law, described Trump and his team as “respectful” and a source of “comfort” during their time at Arlington, directly questioning Harris about her comments regarding her daughter-in-law’s death.
Biden and first lady Jill Biden attended a ceremony at Dover Air Force Base in 2021, where they met privately with family members. In July, Shamblin spoke at the Republican National Convention on behalf of Trump and engaged with the media alongside Trump’s running mate.
Controversy ensued following Trump’s visit, with defense officials stating that his campaign was cautioned against taking photographs at the cemetery. There was also an alleged altercation involving Trump aides and a cemetery employee, who has since opted not to press charges. Trump’s campaign responded by criticizing military spokespersons, asserting they had permission to film during their visit.
Since Biden ended his reelection campaign in July, Trump has intensified his focus on Harris, particularly regarding her involvement in foreign policy decisions. Trump pointed out that Harris was the last person in the room before Biden made decisions on the Afghanistan withdrawal, highlighting a government review indicating that decisions from both the Trump and Biden administrations contributed to the rapid collapse of the Afghan military.
As Trump campaigns this year, he has framed the withdrawal as a necessary action but criticized the Biden administration’s execution, asserting, “We were going to do it with dignity and strength.”
