Former President Donald Trump visited Arlington National Cemetery on Monday to commemorate the third anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, participating in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The event honored the 13 American service members killed in a bombing at Kabul airport during the chaotic pullout in 2021.
Joined by family members of the fallen soldiers, Trump descended the steps to lay wreaths three times, listening to taps between each placement.
The solemn ceremony stood in stark contrast to the political undertones surrounding the anniversary.
Trump’s appearance at Arlington drew attention to the absence of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who were heavily criticized on social media for not attending.
Biden was reported to be vacationing in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, while Harris had no public events scheduled in Washington.
Both Biden and Harris instead simply had their campaign send written statements honoring the fallen soldiers. Biden said, “Today and every day, I mourn and honor them. My prayers are with their families and loved ones.” Harris reiterated that Biden “made the courageous and right decision to end America’s longest war” and highlighted the administration’s continued efforts against terrorism without troops on the ground.
Trump, however, used the occasion to criticize the withdrawal, calling it the “most embarrassing moment in the history of our Country” in a Truth Social post. He argued that soldiers should be the last to leave in such situations and linked the withdrawal to subsequent global events, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Where is Harris?” quickly began trending on social media after she skipped the event.
Take a look —
While Joe Biden is on vacation, President Trump is attending a wreath-laying ceremony for the 13 servicemembers who were KILLED three years ago in Afghanistan.
We haven't forgotten…
pic.twitter.com/0AatbdHbnr— Chad Prather (@WatchChad) August 26, 2024
Kamala is no where to be found today.
Joe Biden is at the beach.
President Trump is honoring the 13 servicemembers who lost their lives due to the Harris-Biden administration’s failings.
— GOP (@GOP) August 26, 2024
President Trump is at Arlington National Cemetery for the third anniversary of the Abbey Gate bombing honoring the 13 Americans killed during the Biden-Harris administration’s Afghanistan withdrawal.
Where is President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris?
President Joe… pic.twitter.com/jYGdylHRd5
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) August 26, 2024
Family members of the fallen service members appeared on stage recently at the Republican National Convention, where they praised Trump’s sympathy and criticized Biden’s handling of the withdrawal.
In a bipartisan move, Speaker Mike Johnson announced that Congress will award the Congressional Gold Medal to the families of those killed in the Afghanistan withdrawal.