President Biden and Vice President Harris on Monday released statements marking the third anniversary of the suicide bombing outside of the Kabul airport that killed 13 U.S. service members and more than 100 Afghans in the final days of the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal.
Both statements identified the fallen service members: Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover. Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo. Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole L. Gee. Marine Corps Cpl. Hunter Lopez. Marine Corps Cpl. Daegan W. Page. Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui. Navy Petty Officer Third Class Maxton W. Soviak. Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss.
“These 13 Americans—and the many more that were wounded—were patriots in the highest sense,” Biden said. “Ever since I became Vice President, I carried a card with me every day that listed the exact number of American service members who were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan—including Taylor, Johanny, Nicole, Hunter, Daegan, Humberto, David, Jared, Rylee, Dylan, Kareem, Maxton, and Ryan. Because we must never forget the immense price that was paid for our freedom. We must never forget that each beloved service member we lost was a human being, who left behind entire families and communities. And together, we must never stop striving to be worthy of their ultimate sacrifice.”
"These 13 devoted patriots represent the best of America, putting our beloved nation and their fellow Americans above themselves and deploying into danger to keep their fellow citizens safe," Harris said.
"Today, I am also thinking about all our servicemembers who served in America’s longest war—including 2,461 who made the ultimate sacrifice and 20,744 who were wounded," she added. "Over the course of nearly two decades, they served selflessly and bravely to protect the American people and our homeland. I will never forget meeting many of them on a trip to Afghanistan as a U.S. Senator. These American servicemembers possessed extraordinary skill, discipline, and dedication. I had then, and will always have, immense pride in their service and in the strength, courage, and excellence of the U.S. military, the greatest fighting force the world has ever known."
The Trump campaign, meanwhile, released a video on social media featuring family members of the fallen service members who recalled the moments they heard about the bombing, when they got the knock on the door informing them about the deaths of their loved ones, and what the dignified transfer was like with President Biden repeatedly checking his watch.
Three years ago today, 13 American heroes were killed in the Harris-Biden botched Afghanistan withdrawal.
— Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) August 26, 2024
To this day, Kamala Harris has never mentioned these fallen soldiers' names.
President Trump will never forget them. pic.twitter.com/UHRNvTCyfV
"Three years later, Kamala Harris still hasn't said the names of these 13 heroes out loud — not even once," a campaign email said, sharing the video.
There still has been no accountability for the Harris-Biden failed withdrawal, which stranded thousands of American citizens and left billions of dollars worth of U.S. equipment behind for the Taliban — who quickly re-took the country and restored their ruthless, repressive regime to power.
It also set the stage for America's enemies around the world to become emboldened, yielding far-reaching consequences that reverberate across the globe yet today.
By her own admission, Kamala Harris was a key player in the disastrous withdrawal. She bragged about being the last person in the room for the fateful decision, was "front and center" for the security briefings, and even laughed as a reporter asked her about the American citizens still trapped in Afghanistan.
Now, the families of the fallen — ignored by Harris and Biden — are still waiting for answers, three years after the worst moment of their lives.
It didn't have to be this way — and it will never happen again under President Trump. (Trump-Vance Campaign)
Trump on Monday also laid a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery alongside family members.
"This is the third anniversary of the BOTCHED Afghanistan withdrawal, the most EMBARRASSING moment in the history of our Country," he noted on Truth Social. "Gross Incompetence - 13 DEAD American soldiers, hundreds of people wounded and dead, AMERICANS and BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT LEFT BEHIND. You don’t take our soldiers out first, you take them out LAST, when all else is successfully done. Russia then invaded Ukraine, Israel was attacked, and the USA became, and is, a laughing stock all over the World. THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA REMAINS SILENT IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE WORST ADMINISTRATION IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY! MAGA2024."