Donald Trump marked the third anniversary of the Abbey Gate bombing by attending a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, honoring the 13 soldiers who were killed during the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal. The event, held on August 26, 2024, highlighted the somber anniversary, while the absence of President Biden and Vice President Harris drew sharp criticism from Gold Star families and veterans’ groups.
Footage from the ceremony shows Trump placing a wreath at the grave of Staff Sergeant Ryan Knauss while speaking to his family over the phone. Trump took the opportunity to reiterate that the deaths of these soldiers were avoidable and blamed Biden’s botched exit strategy from Afghanistan for the tragedy. He pointed out that the poorly planned withdrawal not only cost lives but left billions in military equipment in the hands of the Taliban.
While Trump was honoring the fallen, Harris remained in Washington, D.C., attending internal meetings with no public acknowledgment of the anniversary. The White House schedule for Biden was similarly sparse, with only a morning briefing listed. The decision not to attend the ceremony has fueled anger among Gold Star families, who have long felt that the administration’s response to the bombing was inadequate.
Darin Hoover, father of Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, has been a vocal critic of the administration’s handling of both the withdrawal and its aftermath. He expressed his ongoing frustration that the sacrifices made by his son and the other soldiers are not being properly honored.
Trump’s attendance at the memorial contrasted with the no-show by Biden and Harris, further deepening the political divide over how the country should remember the tragic events in Afghanistan and those who paid the ultimate price.
