House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) blasted President Joe Biden for ignoring the 13 American families who lost their loved ones in Afghanistan in August, saying “we are forever indebted to you.”
McCarthy made the remarks on Tuesday night. During the approximately 62-minute State of the Union speech, Biden made no mention of the 13 U.S. military members who died in a bombing in Kabul during the last days of his military withdrawal.
“To the 13 American families who lost loved ones in Afghanistan in August, you deserved to be recognized by the President tonight,” McCarthy wrote. “Americans remember your sacrifice, and we are forever indebted to you.”
To the 13 American families who lost loved ones in Afghanistan in August, you deserved to be recognized by the President tonight.
Americans remember your sacrifice, and we are forever indebted to you.
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) March 2, 2022
The names of the U.S. soldiers who were killed during the terror attack on the Kabul airport included:
- Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, 31, of Salt Lake City, Utah.
- Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, 25, of Lawrence, Massachusetts.
- Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, 23, of Roseville, California.
- Marine Corps Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22, of Indio, California.
- Marine Corps Cpl. Daegan W. Page, 23, of Omaha, Nebraska.
- Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, 22, of Logansport, Indiana.
- Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, 20, of Rio Bravo, Texas.
- Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, 20, of St. Charles, Missouri.
- Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, 20, of Jackson, Wyoming.
- Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20, of Rancho Cucamonga, California.
- Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, 20, of Norco, California.
- Navy Hospital Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak, 22, of Berlin Heights, Ohio.
- Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, 23, of Corryton, Tennessee.
McCarthy was not alone in his words against Biden over ignoring the fallen 13.
“President Biden won’t say their names. We will always remember,” North Carolina Republican Rep. Greg Murphy tweeted following the State of the Union address.
President Biden won’t say their names. We will always remember:
Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, 23
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, 20
Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, 31
Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, 23
Marine Corps Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22
— Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. (@RepGregMurphy) March 2, 2022
“Biden should have paid tribute to the 13 fallen HEROES in Afghanistan that lost their lives,” former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany tweeted.
Biden should have paid tribute to the 13 fallen HEROES in Afghanistan that lost their lives.
He did not during #SOTU2022.
— Kayleigh McEnany (@kayleighmcenany) March 2, 2022
Colorado Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert also drew attention for calling out “13” during the president’s speech.
.@laurenboebert gives Biden a stern reminder of the 13 fallen American heroes who died during Biden's disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal after he FAILS to even mention them at his #SOTU:
Yells "13" to his FACE.
WATCH THIS. pic.twitter.com/Bfb3k5BsNR
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) March 2, 2022
Republican Rep. Ken Calvert of California said in September that an ISIS-K terrorist was released from a U.S. airbase before killing 13 U.S. service members and dozens of Afghan civilians in a terror attack on Kabul’s airport in August. The Daily Wire reported:
Calvert put out a statement claiming that U.S. national security officials have confirmed to him that Abdul Rehman Al-Loghri was locked up at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, was set free during the U.S. withdrawal, and went on to detonate a suicide bomb outside of Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport in the final days of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“National security officials have confirmed to Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42) that the ISIS-K bomber responsible for the August 26, 2021 terror attack at Kabul airport was carried out by an individual who was released from the Bagram prison shortly after the Taliban seized control of the facility on August 15, 2021. The U.S. military abruptly abandoned the facility in July of 2021,” Calvert’s office said in a press release.