Conservatives defended former President Donald Trump’s Monday visit to Arlington National Cemetary and attacked Vice President Kamala Harris after she called his presence at a wreath-laying ceremony there a “political stunt” Saturday.
Trump’s visit was mired in controversy after a cemetery employee accused his staffers of being pushy and disrespectful. Trump claimed no responsibility for the controversy and portrayed it as a non-issue on Thursday.
Saturday afternoon, Harris issued a scathing statement in which she repeated a claim first reported in 2020 by The Atlantic that Trump called American soldiers “suckers and losers.” She described Arlington as a “solemn place” where Americans should “honor American heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of this nation.” Harris added:
And yet, as was reported this week, Donald Trump’s team chose to film a video there, resulting in an altercation with cemetery staff. Let me be clear: the former president disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt. This is nothing new from Donald Trump. This is a man who has called our fallen service members “suckers” and “losers” and disparaged Medal of Honor recipients.
Many on the right were quick to lash out at Harris while some pointed out she previously said she was the last person to confer with Biden before he made a decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan. The chaotic pullout saw 13 American service members killed by a suicide bomber at the Abbey Gate at the airport in Kabul.
You got them killed.
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) August 31, 2024
President Trump was there at the invitation of families whose loved ones died because of your incompetence.
Why don’t you get off social media and go launch an investigation into their unnecessary deaths? https://t.co/UC2jIGIfaE
— JD Vance (@JDVance) August 31, 2024
You’ve never even said these fallen heroes’ names — who were killed on YOUR watch.
President Trump will never forget them.pic.twitter.com/UtpcJBWpns
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) August 31, 2024
🚨Kamala Harris criticizes President Trump for spending time with the Gold Star families of the 13 dead American service members from her and Biden’s botched Afghanistan withdrawal:
CNN: “Joe Biden just made a really big decision—Afghanistan—were you the last person in the… https://t.co/drV3fUxzEP pic.twitter.com/HdlN1lKFYm
— Steve Cortes (@CortesSteve) August 31, 2024
You are responsible for the deaths of the Abbey Gate 13.
You let in the murderers of Jocelyn Nungaray, Laken Riley and Rachel Morin.
You have trafficked more children into America than any person on earth.
You have never once met with the families of your victims.
HEARTLESS. https://t.co/TwFHiBiURe
— Stephen Miller (@StephenM) August 31, 2024
Biden did the exact same thing.
Care to call him out? https://t.co/SOFbmxtPf8 pic.twitter.com/sglMvHEj6Y
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) August 31, 2024
You’re pushing this hoax now too?
Also, you are disrespecting the Gold Star Families that invited him there.
You’re suggesting he should have ignored them like the dilapidated husk of a “President” who you betrayed?
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) August 31, 2024
This is yet another disgusting lie! Trump was invited by the Abby Gate Gold Star families to attend. Biden and Harris were also invited. Trump accepted and went to honor. Biden and Harris didn’t even reply to the families.
Never forget Afghanistan. Kamala already has.
— Buzz Patterson (@BuzzPatterson) August 31, 2024
The Biden-Harris campaign just two months ago used footage & images (some up-close) of U.S. military cemetery graves, of American flag-draped caskets, of gravestones of U.S. troops, & of a grieving woman on an American flag-draped casket to attack Trump.pic.twitter.com/VF1WEBB6Ld https://t.co/K4uMzfbRfu
— Jerry Dunleavy IV 🇺🇸 (@JerryDunleavy) August 31, 2024
Harris never went to Dover AFB when our fallen came home, nor has she reached out to their families. Not once. She is the one politicizing this memorial. President Trump, whom the families invited, was there to pay his respects. That’s the story. Shame on you. https://t.co/SJHG7sh88F
— Bryan Kellogg (@BK_Kellogg) August 31, 2024
On Aug. 7, The Washington Post noted Harris had previously said she was the last person to speak to President Joe Biden before he authorized the Afghna withdrawal but noted her role in the decision-making process was “unclear.” The paper reported:
Harris’s role behind the scenes in one of the most consequential and controversial episodes of Biden’s presidency shows how she has sought to position herself as a vice president deeply involved in key moments — even agreeing with an interviewer that she was the “last person in the room” with Biden as he cemented his plans to pull out the troops and evacuate allies. But it also suggests the limits of her ability — or willingness — to meaningfully alter Biden’s course on historic choices. She raised important questions about the Afghanistan withdrawal before the calamitous, 17-day evacuation from Kabul but did not push for any alternative policy, according to officials who attended meetings that included her and who provided new details about the matter to The Washington Post.
One former senior military official involved in the deliberations said that Harris asked sharp questions “like a district attorney” during interagency meetings early in 2021 but revealed little about what she was thinking on the issue.
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