Vice President Kamala Harris faced backlash from Gold Star family members for allegedly politicizing an incident at Arlington National Cemetery. This controversy arose after former President Trump posted eight videos on Instagram featuring parents of service members killed by ISIS-K terrorists during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan on August 26, 2021.
The videos came in response to a statement by Harris criticizing Trump for a wreath-laying ceremony event at the cemetery, where an Arlington National Cemetery official was reportedly pushed aside while interacting with Trump’s staff.
“As Vice President, I have had the privilege of visiting Arlington National Cemetery several times,” Harris stated. “It is not a place for politics. And yet, as was reported this week, Donald Trump’s team chose to film a video there, resulting in an altercation with cemetery staff.”
Gold Star Families Respond
Gold Star family members asserted that they had invited Trump to be present at the event out of respect and not for political gain. In one video, the father of Marine Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz condemned Harris’s remarks as “heinous, vile, and disgusting,” emphasizing that they wanted a leader, not a political figure like Harris or President Joe Biden.
Darren Hoover, the father of Marine Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, defended Trump’s conduct at the cemetery, stating that the former president showed respect and support for the military community. Hoover criticized Harris for lacking empathy and understanding of the situation.
Further Criticism Towards Harris
Hoover mentioned that Trump had been supportive of their family since the beginning and condemned Harris for what he perceived as political exploitation of a solemn occasion. He directly addressed Harris, accusing her of self-serving motives and a lack of genuine care for the military and citizens of the country.
“You should be ashamed and embarrassed [about] your lack of empathy and decency as a human being,” Hoover expressed. “You are only in this for the power and prestige. You don’t care for our military or the citizens of this country.”
Request for Comment
Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for their response to these criticisms.
