Charges against a Gold Star father <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/man-removed-from-sotu-for-shouting-united-states-marines-at-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested for disrupting</a> President Joe Biden&#8217;s State of the Union address this month should be dropped, according to a House Republican.
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) <a href="https://issa.house.gov/media/press-releases/issa-calls-capitol-police-drop-all-charges-against-gold-star-parent" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent a letter</a> to Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger on Monday offering a defense of Steve Nikoui speaking out for his late son Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, who was one of the 13 U.S. service members killed in the 2021 Kabul airport attack.
&#8220;Mr. Nikoui&#8217;s arrest for emotionally expressing his grief and seeking acknowledgment for his son&#8217;s sacrifice during the State of the Union – where he called out, &#8216;Abbey Gate! Kareem Nikoui! Second Battalion, First Marines!&#8217; – highlighted a profound disconnect between the sacrifices made by our service members and the recognition they deserve,&#8221; Issa said.
&#8220;Though he interrupted the event, what Mr. Nikoui voiced out loud was a cry for the acknowledgment of the loss endured by the families of the 13 who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country,&#8221; he added.
The elder Nikoui, who was a <a href="https://twitter.com/RepBrianMast/status/1765982360913215535" target="_blank" rel="noopener">guest</a> of Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), shouted as Biden spoke about murder rates during his address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol, causing the president to momentarily pause.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The guy who heckled Biden from the upper seating area shouted &quot;United States Marines;&quot; perhaps in reference to the 13 Marines the President killed with his disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal. <a href="https://t.co/n3OPgvVdtZ">pic.twitter.com/n3OPgvVdtZ</a>
&mdash; Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1765941809077788971?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
After leaving the chamber at the order of law enforcement, Nikoui was briefly <a href="https://twitter.com/MatthewFoldi/status/1765975558121205917" target="_blank" rel="noopener">detained</a> and charged with a misdemeanor for “crowding, obstructing, or incommoding” during a protest — a charge that carries a fine of up to $500 and 90 days in prison, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/arrested-gold-star-dad-doesnt-regret-sotu-outburst-dont-think-i-dishonored-my-son" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported.
Nikoui said in an interview for the <a href="https://twitter.com/megbasham/status/1767182264213852284" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Morning Wire podcast</a> that he blames the Biden administration for his son&#8217;s death that happened as U.S. troops were being hastily withdrawn from Afghanistan and indicated that he does not regret speaking up during Biden&#8217;s speech.
&#8220;I don’t think I disrespected anyone,” Nikoui said. “I don’t think I dishonored my son.&#8221;
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Issa said he had the &#8220;honor&#8221; of getting to know Nikoui over the past year and held a <a href="https://issa.house.gov/media/press-releases/issa-holds-first-ever-congressional-forum-gold-star-families-13-servicemembers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">public forum</a> in August that included an impact statement from Nikoui and others. The congressman also noted that the Nikoui family suffered another loss a year after the airport bombing &#8220;when Kareem&#8217;s grieving brother took his own life.&#8221;
Steve Nikoui is a &#8220;man of kindness and integrity,&#8221; said Issa, adding that his &#8220;actions are driven by an unwavering love of country and a deep commitment to honoring the memory and sacrifices of his son and the other fallen heroes of the Abbey Gate.&#8221;
The letter, which was first <a href="https://townhall.com/tipsheet/matthew-foldi/2024/03/19/issa-nikoui-letter-n2636695" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> by Townhall, ended with Issa urging Manger to drop the charges against the elder Nikoui.
&#8220;I implore you to review this situation carefully, taking into consideration his profound loss, the context of his actions, and the apparently disproportionate punishment sought for him — but not for others who have similarly disrupted the State of the Union address,&#8221; Issa said. &#8220;I am confident you will find him to be an upstanding citizen filled with love for his nation, integrity, and honor.&#8221;
He added, &#8220;You have the authority not to proceed in this matter. I hope you will decide to drop the charges against Mr. Nikoui.&#8221;

Steve Nikoui

House Republican Calls For Charges Against Gold Star Dad To Be Dropped

Afghanistan

Congress

Gold Star

House Republicans

State of the Union

U.S.

Steve Nikoui, the Gold Star father <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/man-removed-from-sotu-for-shouting-united-states-marines-at-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested Thursday night</a> for disrupting President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, tells The Daily Wire his only goal was to get Biden to acknowledge his son and 12 other service members who were killed during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Nikoui said he struggled with the decision over whether or not to even attend the speech as a guest of Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), who had invited him because Nikoui’s son, U.S. Marine Kareem Nikoui, was one of thirteen troops killed when a terrorist set off a bomb at Abbey Gate in Afghanistan’s Hamid Karzai International Airport.
“It was an awkward dynamic,” he says of his attendance at the speech. “I wanted to go, but I also didn&#8217;t want to go. And when I was there, seeing the theatrics, the circus … it just got to me.” 
LISTEN: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/biden-s-apology-fallout-gold-star-dad-arrested-3-11-24">A Gold Star Father Is Arrested After Disrupting The State Of The Union Address</a>
So when the president said Thursday that “America is safer today than when I took office,” Nikoui recalled thinking, “Do you remember that my kid was not safe?” And that’s when he stood and shouted his son’s name and asked the president, “Do you remember Abbey Gate? U.S Marines?”
He then peacefully exited at the order of Capitol police. Once outside the chamber, the grieving father was placed in handcuffs and charged with a misdemeanor for “crowding, obstructing, or incommoding&#8221; during a protest — a charge that carries a fine of up to $500 and 90 days in prison. 
In a conversation that lasted more than an hour on Zoom, Nikoui presents himself as a typical dad on a typical weekend. He has no talking points or artful phrases, and he frequently digresses and loses himself in a memory before returning to an initial train of thought. He says he surprised himself as much as anyone when he found himself on his feet, interjecting from the balcony during the president’s speech.
Nikoui tells The Daily Wire he has the highest respect for the office of the presidency. But he was deeply offended during the 2022 State of the Union address when Biden brought up Afghanistan and, instead of honoring the sacrifices of the 13 KIA service members, immediately pivoted to talking about his own son, Beau, and climate change.
“I remember I watched for like 56 minutes,” he recalls, his voice cracking a bit with emotion. “And then finally [Biden] brings up Afghanistan. But he never said my kid&#8217;s name, you know? I didn’t even need him to say he made a mistake or take blame. I just wanted him to say, ‘The United States will never forget the brave service of Staff Sergeant Taylor Hoover…’ and then go on down the list of the other 12. Just say, ‘We will never forget.’ That’s all he had to do. But he didn&#8217;t do that. Instead, he beelined for, ‘My son Beau died of cancer, and that&#8217;s why I think the existential threat to our military is the burning of diesel fuel in burning pits. Because I think that&#8217;s how Beau got his cancer.’ I just started crying.”
Nikoui has often since wondered why those closest to Biden — his wife and his other son, Hunter Biden — haven’t encouraged him to show more honor to parents who have lost their children in Afghanistan: “Why isn’t his wife isn&#8217;t saying, ‘Honey, you lost your own son when he was in the military. Say their names?&#8217; Why isn&#8217;t Hunter saying that?” 
His arrest has shocked people on both sides of the aisle, including Democratic Congressman Dean Phillips (MN). “As a Gold Star Son myself, I can only imagine the pain he has felt since losing his son in Afghanistan,” Phillips <a href="https://x.com/deanbphillips/status/1766139911839568365?s=20">posted</a> on X. “No one should interrupt a State of the Union Address, but if Marjorie Taylor Greene wasn’t arrested for her outbursts, why should he [be]?”
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Nikoui blames the Biden administration for his son’s death. 
“They were told to leave 2,500 troops there. 2,000 troops could have manned Bagram and then 500 extra to help. And that was in place in the agreement,” he explained, referencing a withdrawal agreement made by former President Donald Trump. “But [Biden] took it to something like 136 troops. If they would have followed Trump’s agreement, my son would be alive.”
“That&#8217;s what America doesn&#8217;t know,” Nikoui said. &#8220;That [Biden] actually didn&#8217;t follow the agreement.”
At a number of points during a lengthy conversation on Zoom, Nikoui pauses, however, to explain how important his Christian faith is to him, and how it compels him to forgive. 
“Even if Biden is the man who I believe killed my kid, for lack of a better phrase, my religion commands me that I have to forgive him,” he says. 
But still, he would like to see the administration held accountable for what he believes were serious errors in judgment that left U.S. troops in Afghanistan vulnerable. And for that reason, no matter what happens with his misdemeanor charge, he doesn’t regret speaking up.
“I don&#8217;t think I disrespected anyone,” he tells me before taking a deep breath, struggling to speak without breaking down. “I don&#8217;t think I dishonored my son.”

President Biden Delivers State Of The Union Address

Arrested Gold Star Dad Doesn’t Regret SOTU Outburst: ‘Don’t Think I Dishonored My Son.’

Joe Biden

Gold Star family member Christy Shamblin, whose daughter-in-law, Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee was killed during President Joe Biden&#8217;s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, said during an interview this week that Biden has never contacted their family.
Shamblin, who is attending Thursday night&#8217;s State of the Union address as <a href="https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/press-release/chairman-mccaul-invites-gold-star-family-member-christy-shamblin-to-state-of-the-union/">the guest</a> of House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, made the remarks during a Wednesday interview on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;The Lead&#8221; with Abby Phillip.
&#8220;What do you want to hear from him about the two years ago what happened to your daughter-in-law?&#8221; Phillip asked.
&#8220;I wonder how he&#8217;s going to strengthen our Armed Forces and support them and answer our questions and lead to a thorough investigation like they promised, so that we can move forward in a positive way and make it better,&#8221; Shamblin responded.
&#8220;President Biden, he&#8217;s often called the &#8216;consoler in chief,'&#8221; Phillip responded. &#8220;He does talk to families who&#8217;ve lost loved ones because of his own experiences. Have you experienced that from him as you&#8217;ve been coping with the death of Nicole?&#8221;
&#8220;No,&#8221; Shamblin responded. &#8220;No.&#8221;
Phillip was surprised by her answer and sought clarification.
&#8220;No, he has not reached out to our family,&#8221; Shamblin said. &#8220;We&#8217;ve actually reached out to the White House and have never heard back. We asked to meet with them to kind of understand where their thinking was in calling this a success, and we&#8217;ve not received a response. It&#8217;s been months. No, that&#8217;s not been our experience at all.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
CNN anchor left STUNNED when gold star mom says that Biden has NEVER reached out to her family about her daughter-in-law&#39;s death.
CNN: &quot;He&#39;s often called the &#39;Consoler in Chief.&#39; He does talk to families who&#39;ve lost loved ones&#8230;Have you experienced that from him?&quot;
Christy… <a href="https://t.co/apPQiMyMSd">pic.twitter.com/apPQiMyMSd</a>
&mdash; Townhall.com (@townhallcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1765758419225485494?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Shamblin&#8217;s daughter-in-law was killed during an ISIS-K terrorist attack at the airport in Kabul, which resulted in the deaths of more than a dozen U.S. service members.
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The others who died 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 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 Hospitalman Maxton W. Soviak, 22, of Berlin Heights, Ohio; and Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, 23, of Corryton, Tennessee.

US-AFGHANISTAN-POLITICS

Gold Star Family: Biden ‘Has Not Reached Out’ After Daughter-In-Law Killed In Afghanistan

Executive

Politics

According to first-hand accounts, President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> treated U.S. Gold Star families, whose loved ones passed away during the disastrous 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, with a remarkable lack of compassion — even for Biden. Former President Donald Trump, on the other hand, honored those same families with the utmost respect and dignity on a recent night to remember.
Don&#8217;t take this author&#8217;s words for it, listen to the mothers and fathers of the brave American soldiers who died in 2021 after a bomb detonated at the Kabul airport, killing 13 of America&#8217;s bravest. Trump hosted relatives of those heroes at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey on August 31.
For example, per a <a href="https://thespectator.com/topic/gold-star-families-trump-bedminster-jake-tapper/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from The Spectator&#8217;s Matthew Foldi, Paula Knauss Selph — the mother of Army Staff Sergeant Ryan Knauss — was moved to tears as Trump wrote on her son&#8217;s photo, &#8220;You are My Hero.&#8221; Knauss Selph told Foldi that those are the exact same words she uses to describe her son.
Now, contrast that moment with Biden&#8217;s treatment of the anguished parent.
Knauss Selph, who now serves as the executive director of the Respect and Remember Foundation, met with Biden in the Oval Office at an event for Gold Star families in Washington, D.C., on Memorial Day 2022, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/afghanistan-gold-star-mom-i-wept-wanted-comfort-from-biden-he-suggested-a-photo-with-him-instead" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously reported</a>.
At first, Biden said to her, “I can understand if you’re angry,&#8221; when they were face to face.
“I stood face-to-face with him, eyeball-to-eyeball. I began to weep,&#8221; she said, saying that she told him, “It should have never happened this way.”
“He stood there stoically,” she said of Biden. “Nothing out of his mouth except — well would you like to get a photo with me?&#8221;
Knauss Selph told Biden she would only agree to a photo if it was of her and the president at her son’s tombstone at Arlington National Cemetery.
He declined, claiming that the Secret Service would not let him do so.
After that experience, Knauss Selph blasted the current president, saying, &#8220;It’s a moral disgrace for a president not to have mercy on the people that he serves. It is a moral disgrace.&#8221;
She wasn&#8217;t alone in her sentiments toward the two presidents.
Christy Shamblin, the mother-in-law of the late Sergeant Nicole Gee, told Foldi, &#8220;Trump was way more than I expected.&#8221;
&#8220;The contrast is stark with the president we met at [Dover Air Force Base],&#8221; she added.
Recently, Shamblin testified before Congress, &#8220;The administration didn&#8217;t seem to know our story,&#8221; while adding that &#8220;when it came to the people in suits, it felt disingenuous and hollow.&#8221; 
Biden, readers will also remember, checked his watch repeatedly at Dover Air Force Base while there to welcome home to the 13 caskets of the deceased Americans.
That national embarrassment enraged the nation, but the families of those brave men and women were — understandably — particularly stung by the commander-in-chief&#8217;s lack of empathy.
“In reference to the checking of his watch, that didn’t happen just once,” Darin Hoover, who lost his son, Marine Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gold-star-fathers-blast-biden-for-looking-at-watch-during-dignified-transfer-most-disrespectful-thing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in 2021. &#8220;That happened on every single one that came out of that airplane. It happened on every single one of them. They would release the salute, and he would look down at his watch on every last one – all 13 – he looked down at his watch.&#8221;
He added, &#8220;As a father, you know, seeing that and the disrespect, and hearing from his former leaders, one of his master sergeants said exactly what you just said, that this was avoidable, that they left them over there. They let them down, we can’t have that. It can’t happen ever again.&#8221;
Hoover also testified before Congress the same week after meeting Trump in late August.
&#8220;Between Congress and Trump, it turned into a really good week,” he told Foldi. “Lots of emotion and good times.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
NEW from me <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSpectator?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheSpectator</a>:
Donald Trump spent an evening privately hosting some of the Gold Star families whose kids were killed in Biden&#39;s failed Afghanistan withdrawal
&quot;He knew our names, he knew our kids&#8230;He took the time to honor our 13.&quot;<a href="https://t.co/LlZ152HBU8">https://t.co/LlZ152HBU8</a>
(1/xx) <a href="https://t.co/d5uk5PMCZP">pic.twitter.com/d5uk5PMCZP</a>
&mdash; Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) <a href="https://twitter.com/MatthewFoldi/status/1701671013262455233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Marlon Bateman, an executive advisor to the Utah attorney general, was also in attendance and provided more details as to what the night was like — again drawing a sharp distinction from Biden&#8217;s treatment of the families.
&#8220;We did not expect President Trump to join us, but to my surprise, he came up and joined us for dinner,&#8221; Bateman said. &#8220;Everyone erupted in cheers as he walked in. Lee Greenwood&#8217;s &#8216;God Bless The U.S.A&#8217; was blaring on the speakers. He proceeded to spend another couple of hours with us and even busted out an iPad to play songs for couples to slow dance to. He even went into his all-time favorite wrestling intros! At that moment I could see the anxiety, stress, and anger that these parents had carried for so long disappear from their faces. It was a moment of peace. They were there to celebrate the heroes they raised. Their babies grew up to be the best our country had to offer, and they were getting some of the recognition they deserved.&#8221;
Bateman added, &#8220;[Trump] did something for these families that the current administration has refused to do, and was incapable of doing — giving an overdue moment of recognition and solidarity for their children. Not a bullshit statement from the White House, not John Kirby sending his deepest condolences on CNN, not Joe Biden continually glancing at his watch while the bodies of their children were carried off the tarmac. He gave them hope that accountability and justice will be coming.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Last week, I had the honor to accompany several Gold Star parents to meet with President Trump in Bedminster. These parents lost their children when Abbey Gate was bombed in the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, which was orchestrated by Joe Biden.  
While Biden continues… <a href="https://t.co/wOJEKVG4r2">pic.twitter.com/wOJEKVG4r2</a>
&mdash; MarlonBateman (@MarlonBateman) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarlonBateman/status/1699138530117837308?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration recently released a report calling the withdrawal a &#8220;success&#8221; and Biden has said the withdrawal <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/08/14/1027696241/biden-said-the-u-s-withdrawal-from-afghanistan-would-be-safe-then-chaos-ensued" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was</a> &#8220;responsible, deliberate and safe.&#8221;
Of course, readers know the lapdog media will never cover this story — it paints too much of a black-and-white difference between Biden and Trump. Thank goodness for conservative press and social media to get the story out there.
The names of the 13 Americans killed during the withdrawal can be read here:
<ul>
<li>Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, 25 </li>
<li>Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, 23 </li>
<li>Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, 31 </li>
<li>Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22 </li>
<li>Cpl. Daegan W. Page, 23 </li>
<li>Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, 22 </li>
<li>Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, 20 </li>
<li>Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, 20 </li>
<li>Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, 20 </li>
<li>Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20 </li>
<li>Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, 20 </li>
<li>Navy Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak, 22 </li>
<li>Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, 23</li>
</ul>
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Trump, Biden

Trump Honors Gold Star Families With Night To Remember, Painting Stark Contrast With Biden’s Disrespect

Trump Honors Gold Star Families With Night To Remember, Painting 'Stark Contrast With Biden's Disrespect

Conservatism

Democratic Party

Donald Trump

Legacy Media

Military

Republican Party

Trump Administration

Of the three traditional (non-cable) news networks, only NBC News covered Tuesday&#8217;s roundtable discussion with the Gold Star family members who lost loved ones in the final days of President Joe Biden&#8217;s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Friends and family of the 13 fallen service members — killed on August 26, 2021, when a suicide bomber attacked the Abbey Gate at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan — <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/joe-biden/families-service-members-killed-2021-kabul-airport-attack-demand-accou-rcna102436?taid=64ef051914bc100001ab1901&amp;utm_campaign=trueanthem&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">met on Capitol Hill</a> to voice their frustrations with the lack of accountability and respect they&#8217;ve seen coming from military leadership and from Biden&#8217;s White House.
According to a <a href="https://newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/kevin-tober/2023/08/29/after-mrc-pressure-nbc-covers-gold-star-hearing-abc-cbs-ignore" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Media Research Center, only &#8220;NBC Nightly News&#8221; covered the Gold Star families and their comments. ABC&#8217;s &#8220;World News Tonight&#8221; and the &#8220;CBS Evening News&#8221; opted not to address the issue at all.
&#8220;This week marks two years since the deadly attack during the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan,&#8221; NBC anchor Lester Holt said, devoting an <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/gold-star-families-of-those-killed-in-kabul-airport-attack-call-for-accountability-two-years-later-191848517787?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_nn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">entire segment</a> to the roundtable event. &#8220;And today Gold Star families who lost loved ones say they are still demanding answers.&#8221;
In addition, NBC News correspondent Ryan Nobles interviewed several Gold Star family members – including Herman and Alicia Lopez, whose son Hunter Lopez was among the 13 killed that day in Kabul.
&#8220;Two years ago, Herman and Alicia Lopez lost their son Hunter,&#8221; Nobles said. &#8220;[He] was one of 13 U.S. service members killed during the ISIS bombing near the Abbey Gate at Kabul&#8217;s airport in Afghanistan. He planned to join his hometown sheriff&#8217;s office.&#8221;
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&#8220;He didn&#8217;t get that chance. And we just would like people to give us the truth of what happened and be honest with us,&#8221; his mother replied.
Many of the gathered family members were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/were-knee-deep-in-bulls-gold-star-father-mark-schmitz-unloads-on-biden-admin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highly critical</a> of the Biden administration – and Biden himself — saying that in addition to the lack of accountability they had seen from the military leadership, Biden had repeatedly failed to even acknowledge their loved ones by name.
&#8220;There couldn’t be anything more disgusting and cowardly than the way you have treated us. You are a disgrace to this nation. You have no business having ultimate command over our military, and I regret not saying that to your face when I had the opportunity in Dover,&#8221; Mark Schmitz, father of the late Lance CPL Jared Schmitz, said during Tuesday&#8217;s discussion.

Abstract Digital News Concept

NBC Is The Only Traditional Network To Cover Gold Star Families Hearing: Report

Kabul

Media

Gold Star father Mark Schmitz held nothing back during his Tuesday testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, taking direct aim at military leadership in addition to President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> and former Pentagon spokesman John Kirby.
Schmitz lost his son, Lance CPL Jared Schmitz, in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rep-issa-called-on-biden-to-meet-with-gold-star-families-from-kabul-bombing-so-far-no-comment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suicide bomb attack</a> on Hamid Karzai International Airport&#8217;s Abbey Gate in Kabul on August 26, 2021. Two years later, he and a number of other Gold Star family members are still looking for answers after the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan left 13 American service members dead and dozens more wounded.
WATCH:
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Wow. Mark Schmitz, whose son was killed in Kabul during the Biden Afghanistan withdrawal, goes scorched earth.
Says the admin has the families &quot;knee-deep in bullshit,&quot; Biden is a &quot;disgrace&quot; to the United States, and Blinken/Austin need to &quot;pack up their shit&quot; and resign. <a href="https://t.co/q1dWugT9an">pic.twitter.com/q1dWugT9an</a>
&mdash; Dylan Housman (@Dylan_Housman) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dylan_Housman/status/1696603882489512398?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Two years has gone by, and where are we? To be frank, we’re knee deep in bulls***, is where we are,&#8221; Schmitz began his remarks by laying into those who had been in leadership positions during the troop drawdown and then withdrawal from Afghanistan.
&#8220;Everyone who held a key position in the military still has that position or has been promoted. John Kirby still sits on his perch, which apparently faces in the opposite direction from where all the action was,&#8221; Schmitz said. &#8220;Blinken continues to delay key evidence by ignoring or delaying subpoenas. Not a single general slapped down their stars, which should have happened two years ago when Biden ignored reliable intelligence. Not a single person has been held accountable.&#8221;
Schmitz then turned his attention to President Joe Biden, noting as several of the other Gold Star family members have that Biden has not mentioned their loved ones by name even once in the two years since they fell in service to the country.
&#8220;Mr. Biden has run his entire political campaign for 50 years as ‘the family man.’ Well, I’ve got news for you, Sir. The curtain has been lifting, and that campaign slogan will never work again,&#8221; Schmitz continued. &#8220;We have seen what’s going on in your family. And even worse, we’ve seen the way you’ve been treating us as Gold Star families. And there couldn’t be anything more disgusting and cowardly than the way you have treated us. You are a disgrace to this nation. You have no business having ultimate command over our military, and I regret not saying that to your face when I had the opportunity in Dover.&#8221;
Schmitz went on to say that he had initially opted to hold back out of respect for the other grieving family members who were also there to collect their loved ones&#8217; remains.
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&#8220;While I stood there on the tarmac, watching you check your watch over and over again, all I wanted to do was shout out, ‘It’s 2-f***ing-thirty, a**hole.’ But out of respect to the other grieving families, I bit my tongue once again,&#8221; he said. &#8220;As you can probably tell by now, I’m done biting my tongue. You, Sir, stole their lives, their futures, their dreams — and have ripped apart thirteen families. You cannot even man up and admit that. You, Sir, gave us all the title ‘Gold Star Family.’ You, Sir, discredit honor and integrity.&#8221;
Other family members have also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gold-star-mom-and-wounded-vet-torch-heartless-biden-say-he-made-visits-all-about-beau" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticized Biden</a> both for his handling of the exit from Afghanistan and his treatment of those who lost loved ones in the final days, calling him &#8220;heartless&#8221; and noting that he had attempted to make their meetings all about himself and his late son, Beau Biden, who died of brain cancer.

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‘We’re Knee-Deep In Bulls***’: Gold Star Father Mark Schmitz Unloads On Biden Admin

'We're Knee-Deep In Bulls***': Gold Star Father Mark Schmitz Unloads On Biden Admin

World

A Gold Star mother who met President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> on the Memorial Day following her son’s death from the terrorist attack at the Kabul airport said that Biden responded by suggesting she take a photo with him when she wept during their meeting.
Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Christian Knauss was killed when a bomber detonated a bomb at Kabul&#8217;s international airport on August 26, 2021, killing 13 American soldiers. His mother, Paula Knauss Selph, the executive director of the Respect and Remember Foundation, met Biden in the Oval Office at an event for Gold Star families in Washington, D.C. on Memorial Day 2022.
“There&#8217;s been a lot of grief, a lot of grief,” she told <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12422089/Afghanistan-Gold-Star-mom-says-President-Biden-asked-photo-op-wept-Oval-Office-heartbreaking-loss-son-killed-Kabul-bombing-two-years-ago.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Mail.</a> “There&#8217;s nothing like watching your child die in front of you, in front of the world.”
She recalled when she met Biden, he said, “I can understand if you&#8217;re angry.”
“I stood face-to-face with him, eyeball-to-eyeball. I began to weep,” she said, adding that she told him, “It should have never happened this way.”
“He stood there stoically,” she remembered. “Nothing out of his mouth except  — well would you like to get a photo with me?”
Selph told Biden that the only picture she would take with him was if he stood with her at her son&#8217;s tombstone at Arlington National Cemetery. She said Biden answered, “I can&#8217;t do that because Secret Service won&#8217;t let me do that.”
“It&#8217;s a moral disgrace for a president not to have mercy on the people that he serves. It is a moral disgrace,” Selph said, adding that Biden thought the “sad occasion” was a “photo op&#8217;” rather an opportunity to comfort a grieving mother.
“He had the chance to make a difference for my child. On not making decisions and indecisions that cost him his life. And I do hold him accountable,” she concluded.
“Ryan, all of his life was quite certain he wanted to go in the armed forces,” Selph said of her son, who was a member of the JROTC cadet program before serving in the military. “And it is a pleasing thing to me. But throughout his life, he kept that focus. He was so disciplined. He was so smart. &#8230; He was protecting and giving us the opportunity for many people to live out the American dream. That&#8217;s what will long outlive all of us.”
The Respect and Remember Foundation says it has <a href="https://r2factor.org/about/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three goals</a>: To encourage JROTC and ROTC Cadets with merit scholarships as they graduate and go directly into the military; to support active duty military stationed abroad with care packages and welcome home baskets and provide vacations for active military personnel and families, and to partner with veteran-led organizations connecting veterans together to help combat the high suicide rate among veterans and the adjustments to civilian life needed by veterans encouraging other veterans.

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Afghanistan Gold Star Mom: I Wept, Wanted Comfort From Biden. He Suggested A Photo With Him Instead.

Taliban

Terrorism

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-yet-respond-proposed-meeting-gold-star-families-issa-says?intcmp=tw_pols" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent a letter</a> last week to President Joe Biden requesting that he host a formal meeting with Gold Star families who lost loved ones during the suicide bombing attack at Kabul&#8217;s Hamid Karzai International Airport in 2021.
The California Congressman shared a post via X confirming on Thursday that President Biden had not yet responded to his request for a meeting.
&#8220;For two years, Joe Biden ignored and insulted the Gold Star parents as he turned the page on his disastrous decisions that cost our 13 service members their lives. He has yet to in any way make this right with the families,&#8221; Issa said.
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For two years, Joe Biden ignored and insulted the Gold Star parents as he turned the page on his disastrous decisions that cost our 13 service members their lives. He has yet to in any way make this right with the families.<a href="https://t.co/gSB071Yi5w">https://t.co/gSB071Yi5w</a>
&mdash; Darrell Issa (@DarrellIssa) <a href="https://twitter.com/DarrellIssa/status/1692212798305276108?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Issa hosted a forum for those same families last week, inviting them to speak publicly about their experiences and raise questions about the Biden administration&#8217;s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in August of 2021, culminating with the terror attack at HKIA&#8217;s Abbey Gate that took the lives of 13 American service members and more than 150 Afghans.
During that forum, many of the surviving family members were critical of the Biden administration officials who oversaw the troop withdrawal — and some lashed out at Biden directly, calling him &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gold-star-mom-and-wounded-vet-torch-heartless-biden-say-he-made-visits-all-about-beau" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heartless</a>&#8221; and saying that when he had met with them, he had attempted to make the conversation about himself and his late son Beau Biden.
Cheryl Rex, who lost her son Lance CPL Dylane Merola in that attack, said that Biden had immediately spun their interaction to talk about his son.
&#8220;When Joe Biden, our elected president, came into the room — when he approached me — his words to me were, &#8216;My wife, Jill and I, know how you feel. We lost our son as well and brought him home in a flag-draped coffin,'&#8221; she said.
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&#8220;My heart started beating faster, and I started shaking, knowing that their son died from cancer and that they were able to be by his side. Also wondering how someone could honestly … sorry … be so heartless to say he knew how I felt a little over 24 hours in learning of my son’s death,&#8221; she added.
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Mother of Lance Cpl. Dylan Merola who died because of botched Afghanistan withdrawal: “When [Biden] approached me, his words to me were, ‘My wife, Jill &amp; I, know how you feel. We lost our son as well and brought him home in a flag draped coffin’&#39;
 <a href="https://t.co/jGbxEv20M8">pic.twitter.com/jGbxEv20M8</a>
&mdash; The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1688630635617804288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Rex, who blames a failure of leadership for the chaotic and deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan, also said that Biden had not spoken to her or mentioned her son&#8217;s name once since that meeting.

President Biden Departs The White House For Camp David

Rep. Issa Called On Biden To Meet With Gold Star Families From Kabul Bombing. So Far? No Comment.

A Gold Star mom who lost her son in the terrorist bombing during the botched Afghanistan withdrawal confronted CNN host Jake Tapper about the media silence over President Biden&#8217;s handling of the withdrawal.
Kelly Barnett, the mother of Staff Sergeant Taylor Hoover, had noted in the past that her son had served in Afghanistan twice before he was murdered in the attack. She said he had told her he was concerned “the moment that he landed and saw what he saw. His words were chaos, no communication, lack of leadership. He said he never [saw] anything like it.”
“He told me, Mom, I now know that the command cares nothing for us,” Barnett had stated. “My son, these 12 others left this earth thinking that their command cared nothing for them.”
“Ms. Barnett, I know you&#8217;ve been hesitant to speak out about what happened to your son,” Tapper said as he started his interview with her on “The Lead with Jake Tapper.” “And I totally respect that. Why have you decided to talk publicly now about it?”
“If you give me a little leeway here, when I first saw, you know, the text saying CNN wanted to talk to me, I was so happy,” Barnett responded. “Where have you all been? We need you, Jake. We need you. We need CNN. We need all the other networks to voice our opinions, our truths and get it out there.”
“We need the country to come together,” she continued. “I want justice for my son. He fought and he died for this country, not for conservatives, not for liberals. He fought for all of us. My job as his mom is to make sure that we come together and make sure this never happens again.”
Tapper protested, “We&#8217;ve been covering the story of the botched withdrawal since it happened. And it&#8217;s just heartbreaking.”
“You have said that the Biden administration lied to you about what happened that day,” Tapper said. “Tell us more about that. What did they tell you that was wrong?”
“First off, they told me that my son died on impact, which is completely 100 percent false,” Barnett revealed. “He lived. He put a tourniquet on himself. He handed out his ammo to his men because, you know, gunfire is going off. So he, you know, he did live for a little while. I now know because of witnesses that were there. You know, how he &#8212; where he was when he passed. They lied about where he was standing.”
“And again, from witnesses, I now know where that truth is,” she continued. “I&#8217;m not really sure, you know, they even know where he was at this point. But I know where he was. They&#8217;ve given false statements.”
“If President Biden were watching right now, what would you want to say to him?” Tapper asked.
“I wanted to say to him that he needs to be a grown man,” Barnett replied. “He needs to come out and say, yes, I made a mistake. I chose wrong. I was looking for a photo op and I messed up. That&#8217;s what he needs to do.”

4th Annual Vetty Awards

‘Where Have You All Been?’: Gold Star Mom Slams Tapper, Media For Silence On Biden’s Botched Withdrawal

Gold Star Mom Slams Tapper, Media For Silence On Biden’s Botched Withdrawal

Jake Tapper

Gold Star mother Cheryl Rex and wounded Marine SGT Tyler Vargas-Andrews told very similar stories about <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-ultimate-disrespect-gold-star-families-trash-biden-admin-over-afghanistan-withdrawal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">President Joe Biden</a> &#8212; and neither were impressed by his apparent need to make every conversation about himself and his late son Beau Biden.
Vargas-Andrews was wounded in the suicide-bomb attack that rocked Kabul&#8217;s Hamid Karzai International Airport on August 16, 2021 — the same attack that killed Rex&#8217;s son, LCPL Dylan Merola, and 12 other American service members — and he said that Biden came to visit him while he was recovering in the hospital.
WATCH:
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Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews, a Marine who survived the explosion in Kabul that killed 13 Americans, says that when Joe and Jill Biden came to his hospital room, the president reached out to shake his hand even though his arm was gone, immediately started talking about his son, and… <a href="https://t.co/5axewScAPk">pic.twitter.com/5axewScAPk</a>
&mdash; Greg Price (@greg_price11) <a href="https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1688758843096907776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Vargas-Andrews described the situation, explaining that he had lost his right arm and his left was all but immobilized, with just the tips of his fingers sticking out of a massive cast &#8212; and he said that Biden did not really greet him when he entered the room, opting instead to grab his exposed fingers like he was shaking his hand.
&#8220;I was like, ok, that&#8217;s weird,&#8221; Vargas-Andrews said. &#8220;And, you know, almost immediately starts talking, like, about how their son served in the military. Doesn&#8217;t say anything about what happened, just talking about how their son served in the military.&#8221;
Vargas-Andrews said that by then, his mother was &#8220;furious,&#8221; and told the president and his entourage that they needed to take care of her son &#8220;for the rest of his f***ing life.&#8221;
He said that the exchange got even stranger after that, explaining that Biden bent over to talk to him and asked, &#8220;What do you want?&#8221;
&#8220;I was confused. I just got blown up, saw my f***ing friends die next to me, I just want to be myself,&#8221; Vargas-Andrews recalled, saying that his answer appeared to baffle Biden. The remainder of the conversation — which he said was brief — avoided any mention of the explosion that nearly ended his life.
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Rex, who spoke at Tuesday&#8217;s forum in California for the families of those killed during the Biden administration&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/oh-please-brian-kilmeade-cant-hold-back-when-john-kirby-tries-to-spin-afghanistan-withdrawal-as-great-success" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disastrous withdrawal</a> from Afghanistan, recounted a very similar experience with the Commander in Chief.
WATCH:
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Mother of Lance Cpl. Dylan Merola who died because of botched Afghanistan withdrawal: “When [Biden] approached me, his words to me were, ‘My wife, Jill &amp; I, know how you feel. We lost our son as well and brought him home in a flag draped coffin’&#39;
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&mdash; The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1688630635617804288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;When Joe Biden, our elected president, came into the room — when he approached me — his words to me were, &#8216;My wife, Jill and I, know how you feel. We lost our son as well and brought him home in a flag-draped coffin,'&#8221; she recalled.
&#8220;My heart started beating faster, and I started shaking, knowing that their son died from cancer and that they were able to be by his side,&#8221; she added. &#8220;Also wondering how someone could honestly &#8230; sorry &#8230; be so heartless to say he knew how I felt a little over 24 hours in learning of my son&#8217;s death.&#8221;
Rex went on to say that, after that moment, she received no further correspondence from President Biden — and no indication that he had ever honored her son&#8217;s death or even spoken his name since he paid the ultimate price for what she believes was a failure of leadership in the final days in Afghanistan.

President Biden Delivers Remarks On Expanding Access To Mental Health Care

Gold Star Mom And Wounded Vet Torch ‘Heartless’ Biden, Say He Made Visits All About Beau

Gold Star Mom And Wounded Vet Torch 'Heartless' Biden, Say He Made Visits All About Beau

Beau Biden

A number of Gold Star family members laid into President Joe Biden and members of his administration, calling them out over the disastrous exit from Afghanistan that took the lives of their loved ones.
At an event in Escondido, California — hosted by Mayor Dane White and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) — relatives of the thirteen service members killed by the suicide bomber at the Kabul airport on August 26, 2021, joined together to speak publicly about their experiences.
Issa introduced the event, billed as the Afghanistan Gold Star Families Public Forum, saying that while they had officially allotted five minutes for each family member who wanted to speak, no one was going to enforce time limits as long as the families had something to share.
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RIGHT NOW: I am in Escondido where Mayor <a href="https://twitter.com/Dwhite1904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dwhite1904</a> is hosting <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/C48?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#C48</a>’s <a href="https://twitter.com/repdarrellissa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@repdarrellissa</a> for an Afghanistan Gold Star Families Public Forum, where family members of those killed during Biden’s chaotic withdrawal are speaking jointly for the first time
(1/xx) <a href="https://t.co/jbRpV73IPG">pic.twitter.com/jbRpV73IPG</a>
&mdash; Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) <a href="https://twitter.com/MatthewFoldi/status/1688597811062087680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Issa also made it clear that the ultimate goal was to make sure that such a tragedy never happened again: &#8220;Did they have to die? Could we have done something different? &#8230; I only apologize that we didn’t do it sooner.&#8221;
Then the family members began to speak, and they had little if anything positive to say about Biden and the military leaders who had been a part of the decision-making process during the troop drawdown and withdrawal — and most were absolutely furious that the administration had then insisted the withdrawal had been a &#8220;success.&#8221;
SSG Taylor Hoover&#8217;s mother was among those who spoke, and she said that the blame for her son&#8217;s death rested on Biden, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mark Milley, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and others. &#8220;Incompetent, cowards, evil,&#8221; she said.
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Taylor’s concern was immediately apparent when he got to Afghanistan, Kelly says. He warned her of:
“Chaos, lack of communication, no leadership.” “Command cares nothing for us.”
“What kind of disrespect, what kind of hatred for our military, what kind of mess” would have made…
&mdash; Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) <a href="https://twitter.com/MatthewFoldi/status/1688604531519795206?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Hoover&#8217;s father spoke as well, saying that the Biden administration &#8220;did not uphold their end of that contract.&#8221;
&#8220;This didn’t need to happen in the manner that it did,&#8221; he added, saying that leadership had &#8220;made a conscious decision that made a chaotic and frantic withdrawal from Afghanistan.&#8221;
He went on to call out those leaders, saying that it was &#8220;nothing short of disgusting and ignorant&#8221; that they had turned around and claimed that the withdrawal had been a success. &#8220;I’m calling out Secretary Blinken, Secretary Austin, General Milley &#8230; and ultimately, the president, and do what our son did: and be a grown ass man &#8230; You all need to resign immediately. Our sons and daughters have more integrity in their little toes than all of them combined.&#8221;
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“I’m calling out Secretary Blinken, Secretary Austin, General Milley,” Whited (who did not give the call to take out the bomber), and “ultimately, the president, and do what our son did: and be a grown ass man.”
“You all need to resign immediately. Our sons and daughters have…
&mdash; Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) <a href="https://twitter.com/MatthewFoldi/status/1688609003725799424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Nicole Gee&#8217;s mother said she knew no forum would ever bring her daughter back, but her goal in speaking was to make sure that the service members who came afterward would be treated with the respect earned by the 13 who lost their lives that day in Kabul.
&#8220;When our leaders, include the secretary of defense and our commander in chief, called this a ‘success,’… it’s like a knife in the heart,&#8221; she said. &#8220;These deaths were preventable. My daughter could be with us today. To call it a success is the ultimate disrespect. There were 13 avoidable deaths &#8230; This was not a success. What we’re asking for it to stop the insanity and make it better for the next group.&#8221;
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“These deaths were preventable. My daughter could be with us today.”
“To call it a success is the ultimate disrespect.”
“There were 13 avoidable deaths,” not to mention the wounded. 
“This was not a success.”
“What we’re asking for it to stop the insanity and make it better…
&mdash; Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) <a href="https://twitter.com/MatthewFoldi/status/1688610971160625152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Dylan Merola&#8217;s mother called Biden &#8220;heartless,&#8221; saying that he had claimed to know how she felt but never once mentioned her son&#8217;s name. &#8220;If they had closed the gate, my son would be alive today,&#8221; she added.
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“How could a worldwide event” just vanish from coverage, she asks
“Everything, even the way my son died, was being covered up.”
A colonel told her she wouldn’t want to see the drone footage. “I had already seen my son’s lifeless body,” who is he to say that?
(18/xx)
&mdash; Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) <a href="https://twitter.com/MatthewFoldi/status/1688615068999757828?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The commander in chief failed in the oath he took … he failed everybody,&#8221; Humberto Sanchez&#8217;s <a href="https://twitter.com/MatthewFoldi/status/1688617438957699072" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mother said</a>. &#8220;I want the answers, I want the truth &#8230; I want to know this type of failure will not repeat itself again &#8230; I will fight til my last breath to get the truth.&#8221;
Hunter Lopez&#8217;s mother said that she believed there was more to the story — and objected to the notion that it was time to &#8220;turn the page.&#8221;
&#8220;If fault was to be found in someone wearing fatigues and not a suit, they would have been on trial a long time ago,&#8221; she said, adding, &#8220;We do not want a partial truth or truth told in a book release…as Americans, we want this truth. As Gold Star families, we deserve this truth. We deserved it two years ago, and we deserve it today.&#8221;
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“We do not want a partial truth or truth told in a book release…as Americans, we want this truth. As Gold Star families, we deserve this truth. We deserved it two years ago, and we deserve it today.”
(26/xx)
&mdash; Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) <a href="https://twitter.com/MatthewFoldi/status/1688619804490608643?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Rep. Issa has promised to get to the bottom of the issue, saying, &#8220;The Biden Administration lied to every one of these Gold Star families. That’s why we brought them forward. These are the words the White House doesn’t want you to hear.&#8221;
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The Biden Administration lied to every one of these Gold Star families.
That’s why we brought them forward. These are the words the White House doesn’t want you to hear.
&mdash; Rep. Darrell Issa (@repdarrellissa) <a href="https://twitter.com/repdarrellissa/status/1688656144817180673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Dignifed Transfer Held For 13 Service Members Killed At Kabul Airport

‘The Ultimate Disrespect’: Gold Star Families Trash Biden Admin Over Afghanistan Withdrawal

Gold Star Families Trash Biden Admin Over Afghanistan Withdrawal

Mark Milley

President Joe Biden released a list on Friday, naming seventeen people he planned to present with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a ceremony scheduled to take place following the July 4th holiday weekend.
<a href="https://dailywire.com/news/president-joe-biden-accuses-supreme-court-of-destabilizing-the-country-by-overturning-roe-v-wade/">Biden</a> himself is a recipient of the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2017/01/12/509545778/in-surprise-send-off-president-obama-awards-biden-presidential-medal-of-freedom">Medal of Freedom</a>, the nation&#8217;s highest civilian honor, which was awarded in 2017 by former President Barack Obama to honor his service both in the Senate and in the Vice Presidency.
&#8220;The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the Nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors,&#8221; the White House <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/07/01/president-biden-announces-recipients-of-the-presidential-medal-of-freedom/">statement</a> read.
&#8220;President Biden has long said that America can be defined by one word: possibilities. These seventeen Americans demonstrate the power of possibilities and embody the soul of the nation – hard work, perseverance, and faith. They have overcome significant obstacles to achieve impressive accomplishments in the arts and sciences, dedicated their lives to advocating for the most vulnerable among us, and acted with bravery to drive change in their communities – and across the world – while blazing trails for generations to come.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BIDEN is giving the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Gabby Giffords, Simone Biles, Steve Jobs, John McCain, Megan Rapinoe, Alan Simpson, Richard Trumka and Denzel Washington. Among others
&mdash; Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1542886205330800641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The list of recipients, who will receive the award in a ceremony at the White House on July 7, is as follows:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://dailywire.com/news/gold-medalist-simone-biles-scores-of-gymnasts-seek-1b-from-fbi-in-nassar-case/">Simone Biles</a>, the most decorated gymnast in history.</li>
<li>Sister Simone Campbell, the former executive director of a Catholic social justice advocacy group.</li>
<li>Dr. Julieta Garcia, the first Hispanic woman to serve as the president of a university</li>
<li>Former Senator <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/feelings-over-facts-wapo-reporter-blames-right-hank-berrien/">Gabrielle Giffords</a> (D-AZ), a survivor of gun violence.</li>
<li>Fred Gray, &#8220;one of the first black members of the Alabama State legislature after Reconstruction.&#8221;</li>
<li>Steve Jobs, founder and longtime head of Apple, Inc., and CEO of PIXAR animation studios.</li>
<li>Father Alexander Karloutsos, former Vicar General of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.</li>
<li><a href="https://dailywire.com/news/muslim-gold-star-father-trump-black-soul-robert-kraychik/">Khzir Khan</a>, a Gold Star father — who famously feuded with former President Donald Trump after speaking at the Democratic National Convention — and founder of the Constitution Literacy and National Unity Center.</li>
<li>Sandra Lindsay, a &#8220;critical care nurse from New York who served on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic and was the first to receive the vaccine&#8221; after clinical trials.</li>
<li><a href="https://dailywire.com/news/mike-pence-honor-senator-john-mccain-special-jacob-airey/">John McCain</a>, the late U.S. Senator (R-AZ) who was awarded a Purple Heart with one gold star after serving in Vietnam and spending time as a prisoner of war.</li>
<li>Diane Nash, a &#8220;founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee&#8221; who organized a number of civil rights campaigns.</li>
<li><a href="https://dailywire.com/news/megan-rapinoe-reacts-to-backlash-says-media-needs-to-get-better-with-criticism-of-womens-sports/">Megan Rapinoe</a>, an Olympic gold medalist and two-time Women’s World Cup champion, and a vocal advocate for gender pay equality.</li>
<li>Alan Simpson, former U.S. Senator (D-WY), and advocate for campaign finance reform and marriage equality.</li>
<li><a href="https://dailywire.com/news/top-union-leader-slams-bidens-job-killing-order-cost-us-jobs-needs-to-consider-future-of-country/">Richard Trumka</a>, president of the AFL-CIO for more than ten years, president of the United Mine Workers, and secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO.</li>
<li>Brigadier General Wilma Vaught, &#8220;one of the most decorated women in the history of the U.S. military.&#8221;</li>
<li><a href="https://dailywire.com/news/the-devil-got-ahold-of-him-denzel-washington-says-prayer-is-the-only-solution-after-will-smith-slap/">Denzel Washington</a>, an &#8220;actor, director, and producer who has won two Academy Awards, a Tony Award, two Golden Globes, and the 2016 Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award.&#8221;</li>
<li>Raúl Yzaguirre, a &#8220;civil rights advocate who served as CEO and president of National Council of La Raza for thirty years.&#8221;</li>
</ul>

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