In a video posted by Donald Trump on Saturday, parents of US soldiers killed in the Abbey Gate bombing praised the former president and criticised Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden.
The video, posted to Truth Social, comes as the Trump campaign is grappling with controversy over a visit this week to Arlington National Cemetery to memorialize 13 U.S. soldiers killed in the Kabul airport bombing in 2021. The Trump campaign has come under fire from the military for its use of video and images from the visit, which critics say violates rules banning political activity at the holy site.
Harris slammed Trump in a statement earlier in the day, saying “Mr. Trump has no understanding of anything other than serving himself.”
Jacqueline Schmitz, mother of Corporal Jared Schmitz, said in the video posted by Trump, “Kamala, your comments are nothing more than a political ploy to make yourself look good in your campaign against Donald Trump. You have never stood with us. Your administration got our children killed and you share some responsibility.”
Darin Huber, father of Staff Sergeant Taylor Huber, said in another video posted by Trump: “Kamala, I want you to understand, I know this is difficult because you lack empathy and basic understanding, but what happened to President Trump at Arlington National Cemetery on August 26, 2024, was solemn and in keeping with the reverence and respect for all of the military personnel buried there.”
While at the cemetery, Huber said, “we asked the Trump team to take video and photographs of their time there.”
“Kamala Harris and President Biden didn’t even say the 13 names. They called the withdrawal from Afghanistan a success, but for us it was just heartbreak and humiliation,” Coral Doolittle, mother of Corporal Humberto A. Sanchez, said in the video.
Another family member said: In addition to the graves of soldiers killed in Kabul, the grave of an Army Special Forces soldier who committed suicide was also shown in at least one photo posted online during the visit. The family of Sergeant Andrew Marchesano later said they did not give permission for the campaign to photograph the cemetery.
In a statement this week, the family said they support the “quest for accountability and clarification” by the families of soldiers killed in Afghanistan, but after speaking with the cemetery, they believe the campaign did not follow the rules for visiting graves.
“We hope that those who visit this sacred site will understand that these were real people who sacrificed for our freedom and are receiving the honor and respect they deserve,” the family said.
