Two years ago, in 2021, a suicide blast ravaged the streets of Kabul's international airport, killing 13 American service members.
To this day, the families who lost their loved ones feel President Joe Biden has ignored their pleas for answers on the deadly event.
Mark Schmitz’s son, Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz, was killed in the aftermath of the botched U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. In a statement to Fox News, he expressed his frustration that Biden has refused to answer whether the bomber could have been counteracted before the attack.
“Nothing yet. In fact, I’ve asked for copies of the SD card footage off of his rifle scope. That would have been recorded, and they would have been able to have that as evidence that this was or was not, in fact, the bomber. That card has been ‘misplaced,’ as they say,” Schmitz replied. “So, I don’t know what the truth is anymore. We can’t seem to get a straight answer out of anybody.”
The father accused Biden of withholding crucial information on the attack that led to his son's death.
On a separate occasion, Schmitz criticized Biden for claiming the botched withdrawal was a success, saying the president refuses to take responsibility for his actions that have caused the country to suffer.
“He’ll never learn from his mistakes; he’s proven that time and time again,” Schmitz said. “He doesn’t even accept responsibility for anything he did. I believe he said that what he did was an ‘extraordinary success.’ He’s the exact polar opposite of a leader.”
This weekend marked the second anniversary of the chaotic withdrawal that caused lives to be forever changed.
Despite being one of the darkest days in Biden's presidency, he has failed to uphold his obligations to Gold Star families.
According to the Daily Mail, the families are accusing Biden of ignoring requests to meet them while demanding him to come forward and admit his mistakes in withdrawing from Afghanistan.
The mother-in-law of Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee said, “One of the hardest parts has really been being ignored largely by the administration and official elected officials.”
The parents of Cpl. Hunter Lopez told the Daily Mail that neither the president nor his administration reached out as they mourned the loss of their child.
“I would love to sit down with President Biden and have him outline the successes,” one of the parents told the Daily Mail, adding that she believes the Biden Administration did nothing right that day.
Gold Star families are expected to participate in a roundtable hosted by House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX).