Former President Donald Trump's campaign released a new ad Monday featuring the veteran Republican lawmaker reflecting on the Abbey Gate suicide bombing that killed 13 service members at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.
The ad, titled “Veterans of Abbey Gate,” featured several Republican lawmakers criticizing President Joe Biden's leadership during the withdrawal and subsequent bombing that killed more than a dozen service members on Aug. 26, 2021. In contrast, the lawmakers criticized President Trump's process The family of a Gold Star recipient who lost a relative in “one of the greatest failures” in recent U.S. military history. (RELATED: Biden Administration “Finally” Acknowledges Abbey Gate Bomber Released from Abandoned Air Base Prison in Afghanistan)
“What would a family give to have one more minute, one more ten seconds, with that person lying under a flag-draped casket,” Rep. Brian Mast, a Republican from Florida who served in the Army, said in the ad. “What would a family give for one more hug, one more word? They would give anything in the world for that.”
“When you look at Afghanistan, it's probably one of the most significant military failures of my lifetime,” Rep. Ryan Zinke, a Republican from Montana who served in the Navy Seals, said in the ad.
Biden's failed withdrawal left 13 U.S. troops dead, plus about 170 civilians. Behind About $7 billion worth of military equipment is currently in the hands of the Taliban. Biden-Harris State Department spokesman Matthew Miller called the withdrawal “the right policy choice” in August 2023, just two days after Gold Star families voiced their opposition to the withdrawal.
“I've dealt with families of Gold Star recipients throughout my service and, understandably, their grief is deep and palpable,” Rep. Mike Walz, a Florida Republican who served in the National Guard, said in the video, “but I've never dealt with a group of people that are so angry about Biden and how they were treated.”
ARLINGTON, VA – AUGUST 26: Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump (second from right) holds his hand over his heart as he stands alongside (from left) Marlon Bateman, Marine Corps Lance Corporal Kelsey Reinhart (ret.) and U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Tyler Vargas Andrews (ret.) during a wreath-laying ceremony to commemorate the lives lost in the Abbey Gate bombing at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on August 26, 2024. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Ahead of the withdrawal, several White House officials had been on leave, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, then-White House press secretary Jen Psaki and the president himself. Biden was also seen in various photos and videos checking his watch while awaiting the return of 13 soldiers killed in action overseas.
“So I said, 'I'm going to call President Trump,'” Waltz said. “It was literally a 30-second conversation. I explained what it was, and he said, 'Michael, get them here.' He was in Bedminster, and we arranged to have a couple of families there. We scheduled about an hour for him to talk to them. He ended up spending about six hours with them.” (RELATED: Exclusive: Gold Star Mothers Call for 'Change' in Leadership After Biden Falsely Claims No Troop Deaths Under His Command)
“Despite Harris' 'key role' in the failed Afghanistan withdrawal, she has expressed no regrets about the administration's actions,” Brian Hughes, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Unlike Kamala Harris, President Trump is happy to name 13 American heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.”
Veterans lawmakers compared President Trump's military record to that of the Biden-Harris administration, saying the Republican candidate would continue to recognize the “service and sacrifice” of these Gold Star recipient families.
“We need a future commander in chief who doesn't check his watch as he welcomes back those who have made the supreme sacrifice,” Rep. Wesley Hunt, a Republican from Texas who served in the U.S. Army, said in the ad.
“While Kamala Harris has let our soldiers and their families down, President Trump will never let them down,” Hughes told DCNF. “Trump is the ultimate commander in chief and will once again rise to the occasion and work tirelessly to support our dedicated soldiers and their families.”
As an independent, nonpartisan news service, all content produced by the Daily Caller News Foundation is available free of charge to any legitimate news publisher with a large readership. All republished articles must include our logo, reporter byline, and affiliation with the DCNF. If you have any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact us at licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
