Mark Schmitz, whose son died in the Kabul airport bombing, accuses Psaki of reopening old wounds with her false claims. He vows to take action on behalf of his son and all Gold Star families.
Mark Schmitz, the father of Marine Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz who was killed in the August 2021 Kabul airport bombing, has fiercely criticized MSNBC host Jen Psaki for her politically motivated lies. In a recent appearance on Fox & Friends, Schmitz expressed his outrage over Psaki's false claims in her book "Say More" and her refusal to appear before Congress to answer questions about the Biden administration's botched withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Schmitz, who has become a vocal advocate for Gold Star families, accused Psaki of reopening old wounds with her lies. He said that Psaki's false claim that President Biden never looked at his watch during the dignified transfer ceremony for the fallen service members was particularly hurtful. Photographs and firsthand accounts from Gold Star families contradicted Psaki's claim, forcing her to edit future reprints of her book.
"She's just trying to rewrite history," Schmitz said. "She's trying to make it look like Joe Biden was a hero, and he wasn't. He was a coward."
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) has sent a letter to Psaki requesting her appearance for a transcribed interview regarding her role as White House press secretary at the time of the withdrawal. McCaul warned that the Committee would "use all the tools at its disposal" to ensure Psaki's appearance.
In his letter, McCaul criticized Psaki's refusal to cooperate with the investigation into the Afghanistan withdrawal. He accused her of seeking to profit off the tragedy by writing about it in her book while refusing to answer questions from Congress.
"It is troubling that Ms. Psaki seeks to profit off the Afghanistan tragedy, and has felt comfortable writing accounts and making them available to the general public, but refuses to make herself available to Congress," McCaul wrote.
Schmitz said that he supports McCaul's efforts to hold Psaki accountable. He believes that Psaki's lies and her refusal to cooperate with Congress are a disservice to Gold Star families and to the American people.
"She needs to be held accountable for her actions," Schmitz said. "She needs to tell the truth about what happened in Afghanistan, and she needs to apologize to Gold Star families."
Psaki has not yet responded to McCaul's request for an interview. She has until May 28 to schedule a meeting with the Committee.
