Harris Rides on Soldiers’ Losses for Political Mileage, Gold Star Families Allege

The contestation over former President Donald Trump’s visit to the revered Arlington National Cemetery carried on unabated throughout the last weekend. Trump’s campaign circulated statements and video clips showcasing his solidarity with the Gold Star military families, whom he met at the memorial. These bereaved families were marking the third anniversary of the sad demise of 13 service members, a result of the disorderly retreat from Afghanistan.

A statement shared by the bereaved families, also known as Gold Star families, on Sunday, questioned the impartiality of Vice President Kamala Harris. They maintained that it was the Vice President, not the former President, who was using the US service members’ deaths for political gains. Harris had lambasted Trump the previous day, accusing him of carrying out a ‘political stunt’ and disrespecting ground sacred to the fallen war heroes of Afghanistan.

Harris’s scorn was primarily incited by the release of photos from Trump’s visit, notably one with him giving a thumbs-up sign next to the graves of deceased soldiers. Such display of partisan activity is conventionally frowned upon at the cemetery. Unruffled by the controversy, Trump has sharpened his rhetoric, directly implicating Harris in the chaotic execution of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan by the Biden administration.

The 13 service members lost their lives in a suicide bombing on August 26, 2021, at the Abbey Gate of Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport. Trump, as well as the families of the bombing victims, have squarely blamed Harris for their loved ones’ deaths, chastising her for her involvement in the problematic foreign policy decisions. They bring attention to her admission of being the last person in the counseling room before Biden resolved to pull out of Afghanistan.

The joint assertion by the affected families stated, ‘President Trump received an invitation from us, the Gold Star families, to partake in the solemn commemorations for the third anniversary of our children’s tragic deaths.’ Vice President Harris has been accused of maliciously converting this sacred occasion into a political maneuver. Trump retaliated by paying tribute to Sgt Nicole Gee, Staff Sgt Darin Hoover, and Staff Sgt Ryan Knauss on the previous Monday.

Trump acknowledged the gratitude expressed by the families in their statement and shared video messages from them via social media. He said, ‘Thank you for expressing your desire for me to stand with you … and take pictures, indicating it was your request, not mine.’ According to Christy Shamblin, Gee’s mother-in-law, Trump and his team lent a listening ear, providing comfort to the grieving families at Arlington.

However, her comments for Harris were far from praiseworthy. Shamblin challenged the Vice President’s refusal to return her calls and her audacity to label her daughter-in-law’s death a success. She reproached Harris for exploiting their mourning day for rushing to sarcastic condemnations not just of the deceased, but also of the grieving families.

Shamblin, along with several other relatives, has previously lent her voice in support of Trump at the Republican National Convention in July. They joined the former President’s running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, on a conference call with the media. Though Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden privately interacted with the families at Dover Air Force Base in 2021, the ceremony marking the arrival of the service members’ remains on US soil, their actions were regarded warily.

Supporters of the former president came forward to defend him in appearances on Sunday’s political shows. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina found it regrettable that these families had to visit their fallen loved ones at Arlington due to the mishandlings of the Biden administration. The controversy around Trump’s trip to the cemetery stems from claims by defense officials that his campaign was cautioned against photographing the event.

The situation intensified when Trump’s aides and a cemetery staff member faced off in a disagreement over the forbidden filming and photographing. Afterwards it was reported that an employee, who was allegedly verbally assaulted and pushed aside by two Trump campaign staff members, decided not to press charges.

This led to a backlash from the Trump campaign against Pentagon officials. With Chris LaCivita, a top campaign advisor, categorizing the military spokespersons as ‘hacks’ and alleging that the campaign had received pre-approval for the filming at the site.

The pullout from Afghanistan was in accordance with a commitment as well as a timeline negotiated by the Trump administration with the Taliban back in 2020. A 2022 inquiry by a government-designated special investigator implied that the actions taken by both Trump and Biden played a significant role in the swift dismantling of Afghanistan’s military and the subsequent taking over by the Taliban.