Former President Trump attended a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, paying tribute to the 13 U.S. service members who lost their lives in the 2021 Abbey Gate bombing during the Afghanistan withdrawal.
Former President Donald Trump honored the 13 U.S. service members who were killed in the 2021 Abbey Gate bombing during the Afghanistan withdrawal by participating in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on the third anniversary of the tragic event. Biden and Harris, the current president and vice president, were notably absent from the ceremony.
The suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport on August 26, 2021, resulted in the deaths of the 13 service members and over 100 Afghan civilians. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Trump Honors Fallen Troops at Arlington on Abbey Gate Anniversary
Trump's presence at the ceremony underlined his ongoing criticism of the Biden administration's handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal, which he has described as a "botched failure." His campaign released a statement condemning Harris and President Biden for not publicly uttering the names of the deceased troops three years after the incident.
"Three years later, Kamala Harris still hasn't said the names of these 13 heroes out loud — not even once," the statement asserted.
Trump Honors Fallen Troops at Arlington on Abbey Gate Anniversary
The campaign also lamented the lack of accountability for the administration's withdrawal, which they blamed for leaving behind billions of dollars in U.S. equipment and emboldening America's enemies worldwide.
In response to media inquiries, the White House released a statement acknowledging the anniversary and listing the names of the fallen troops.
Trump Honors Fallen Troops at Arlington on Abbey Gate Anniversary
"Three years ago today, outside of Kabul Airport, an ISIS terrorist killed 13 American servicemembers and more than 100 innocent Afghans, and wounded many more," Harris stated. "Thirteen American heroes were taken from us on that day."
Biden also issued a written statement, expressing his condolences and stating that he carries a card with the names of every service member killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Trump Honors Fallen Troops at Arlington on Abbey Gate Anniversary
"Because we must never forget the immense price that was paid for our freedom," Biden wrote.
Democrats have accused Trump of disrespecting veterans, citing allegations that he referred to slain World War II soldiers as "suckers" and "losers." Trump has denied these claims.
Trump Honors Fallen Troops at Arlington on Abbey Gate Anniversary
Under Trump's presidency, the United States signed a peace treaty with the Taliban, aiming to end America's longest war and bring U.S. troops home. Biden later used this agreement to deflect criticism over the Taliban's seizure of Afghanistan, claiming that it bound him to withdraw troops and paved the way for the subsequent chaos.
A review of the withdrawal conducted by the Biden administration acknowledged that the evacuation of Americans and allies should have commenced sooner, but ascribed the delays to the Afghan government and military, as well as U.S. military and intelligence assessments.
However, senior U.S. generals who supervised the evacuation have criticized the administration's inadequate planning, particularly the decision to maintain a limited force of 650 troops, instead of the 2,500 recommended by top military leadership.
The anniversary of the Abbey Gate bombing has reignited the debate over the Afghanistan withdrawal, with Trump and his supporters continuing to assail the Biden administration's handling of the crisis.
