Family members of soldiers killed in Afghanistan withdrawal invited the presidential candidate to attend the ceremony and “hear our stories,” according to reports. Former President Donald Trump shared videos of these family members responding to Vice President Kamala Harris’s criticism of his visit to Arlington National Cemetery. Trump laid wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to mark the anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, joined by family members of fallen service members. Harris accused Trump of disrespecting sacred ground for political gain in a social media post. In response, Trump uploaded videos of eight family members of soldiers killed in Afghanistan, including Darin Hoover, father of Staff Sergeant Taylor Hoover, who praised Trump for supporting them since their loved ones’ deaths. Other family members, such as Mark Schmitz and Christy Shamblin, also defended Trump’s actions at the event and criticized Harris for her remarks. The families invited Trump to the ceremony to listen to their stories and show leadership. Trump’s campaign spokesman denied claims of a physical altercation at the cemetery during the event, stating they are prepared to release footage to refute such claims. Sen. JD Vance also criticized Harris’s post, defending Trump’s presence at the ceremony and urging her to focus on investigating the soldiers’ deaths instead of social media.
“Over the past three years, our Administration has demonstrated we can still eliminate terrorists, including the leaders of al-Qaeda and ISIS, without troops deployed into combat zones. I will never hesitate to take whatever action necessary to counter terrorist threats and protect the American people and the homeland,” she said.
Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
