This week I would like to use my column to simply document an astounding exchange of words from this past Labor Day weekend.
While many Americans were enjoying the season’s first college football Saturday or otherwise taking time off for the holiday, the politics of the presidential race continued to rage online.
Late on the morning of Aug. 31, 2024, Kamala Harris’s official X account tweeted:
As Vice President, I have had the privilege of visiting Arlington National Cemetery several times. It is a solemn place; a place where we come together to honor American heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of this nation.
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. Let me be clear: the former president disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt.
This is nothing new from Donald Trump. This is a man who has called our fallen service members ’suckers‘ and ’losers‘ and disparaged Medal of Honor recipients.
A man who, during a previous visit to the cemetery, reportedly said of fallen service members, ’I don’t get it. What was in it for them?’
This is a man who is unable to comprehend anything other than service to himself.
If there is one thing on which we as Americans can all agree, it is that our veterans, military families, and service members should be honored, never disparaged, and treated with nothing less than our highest respect and gratitude.
And it is my belief that someone who cannot meet this simple, sacred duty should never again stand behind the seal of the President of the United States of America.
I will always honor the service and sacrifice of all of America’s fallen heroes, who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our beloved nation and our cherished freedoms. I mourn them and salute them. And I will never politicize them.
On the evening of Aug. 31, 2024, around 8 p.m., Donald Trump began posting a series of videos to his official X account in response.
Each video showcased a Gold Star father or mother speaking directly into the camera, often addressing Kamala Harris directly as well.
First came Christy Shamblin, mother-in-law of Sergeant Nicole Gee:
Vice President Harris,
My name is Christy Shamblin. My daughter-in-law, Sergeant Nicole Leanne Gee, was killed in the Afghanistan exit at Abbey Gate on Aug. 26, 2021. This year, for the third anniversary of her murder, we welcomed President Donald J. Trump to Arlington to lay a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with our family and to visit Nicole graveside.
President Trump and his team were respectful. They listened to our stories and didn’t talk much at all. We welcomed them that day, and they were comfort to our family.
Vice President Harris, I ask you: Why won't you return a call and explain to us how you call my daughter-in-law's death a success?
Vice President Harris, why will you not express your condolences yourself? Why have we never heard from you? And finally, why would you take a day where we celebrated the death of our loved one and use it to disparage, not only them, but us?
President Trump has called. President Trump shows up. And President Trump takes the time to hear our loved ones' stories.
Why won’t you do the same?
Next came Herman Lopez, father of Corporal Hunter Lopez:
Good afternoon, my name is Herman Lopez, and I am a Gold Star father. My son, Corporal Hunter Lopez, was a U.S. Marine who was killed in action on Aug. 26, 2021.
This message is intended for Vice President Kamala Harris.
I’m not someone who usually takes to social media, but earlier today, your post regarding the incident at Arlington National Cemetery was brought to my attention. After reading it, it caused a reaction with me.
You indicated in your post that you support the military and military families. I, for one, have not seen that support. It’s been three years since my son was killed in action, and myself, my family, and other Gold Star families have not seen any support from you or your administration.
You may make hollow promises about the economy or anything else you would like to make promises about, but one thing that I ask of you, and the reason I’m making this message, is for you to stop making comments about your support for the military. As a Gold Star father, I know that you have not supported us; I know that you have not supported other Gold Star families.
Please stop making these types of comments because that support has not been demonstrated. Your words are hollow and empty. My other request is that for the American public to know that these messages, these promises from Kamala Harris, especially in regard to supporting the military and our military families, are false and baseless. They have not been proven, and she has not earned our respect.
Thank you very much.
Next was Jim McCollum, father of Lance Corporal Rylee McCollum:
Vice President Harris, my name is Jim McCollum. I am the Gold Star father of the United States Marine Corps Lance Corporal Rylee McCollum, killed in Afghanistan Aug. 26, 2021.
Your recent remarks related to Trump's visit to Arlington are filled with nothing but lies and deceit. How do you sleep at night knowing it was you, this administration, you and Biden, you being the last one in the room, are responsible for the death of our 13 kids?
You have failed for three years and eight months to acknowledge our kids, to acknowledge me. You don't know me. You've never spoken to me. You've never reached out to me. You have failed in your duties as Vice President.
You have been nothing but disrespectful to me and the families of the 13. Yet you're claiming that you will always be respectful and show respect for our fallen. You've been absent for three years and eight months.
You've proven that you're not capable to do the job that you have, let alone the job that you seek. You know nothing about honor, courage, commitment, respect, but President Trump does.
President Trump has been there for us. He's been a rock for us. He showed compassion for us, and he showed he truly cares for the families that truly do know what the ultimate sacrifice really is. You have the day you deserve.
Next was Mark Schmitz, father of Lance Corporal Jared M. Schmitz:
This is Mark Schmitz, Gold Star Father of Marine Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz. Here we are on a beautiful holiday weekend day. I've got to stop what I'm doing, spending time with what's left of my family to address a heinous, vile and disgusting post put out by Kamala Harris – trying to incite those that don't follow the truth – that President Trump was in Arlington as a political stunt.
Shows you how much you know about the 13 families. We invited him to be there. Groundwork was put into place by Congressman Issa's office to make sure we followed protocol.
Why did we want Trump there? It wasn't to help his political campaign. We wanted a leader. That explains why you and Joe didn't get a call.
Imagine for a second that your kid is killed, and there's a president of the United States willing to take you under his wing and listen to you. That's what we found in President Trump. Certainly not you, and certainly not Joe Biden.
You have 13 families who have been waiting over three years to so much as get a phone call, to so much as hear our kids' names said aloud in the halls of Congress, at a State of the Union, h***, anything. The irony behind your post, that you give a rat's a** about our military or our veterans, Jared's brothers and sisters in arms, the rest of the 12, their brothers and sisters in arms, is an outright lie. We're living proof of that.
You're despicable. You have zero business running this country, and I pray to God Americans wake the h*** up and get your a** out of office. You have spit in our face for the last f***ing time.
Next was Steve Nikoui, father of Lance Corporal Kareem M. Nikoui:
Vice President Harris, my name is Steve Nikoui. I'm the father of Lance Corporal Kareem M. Nikoui, and your administration killed my son. Deliberately in exchange for political theatrics, so you could have a final day of the evacuation coincide with Sept. 11th, ignoring the advice of your generals, the Doha agreement, and countless other veterans and members of Congress, denying the safety of the Afghans and the servicemen and women.
Your choice to play politics in 2021 killed 170 Afghans, 13 U.S. service members, and wounded 45 of our service members, as well as countless Afghans. You were not at Dover for the dignified transfer. At no time have you reached out to me to offer your condolences, to offer thank you for Kareem's sacrifice and service.
Not once have you honored him by saying his name, so I said it for you. You have disparaged all 13 who have lost their lives as well as their families, exhibiting your lack of gratitude by your silence. I agree with you on one thing, that a person like you should never and will never stand behind the seal of the presidency.
You are a DEI vice president, and contrary to our kids, the worst that America has to offer. I will pray for you, that God has mercy on your soul.
Next was Jaclyn Schmitz, mother of Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz:
Kamala, your statement is nothing more than a political spin to help you look better in your presidential campaign against Donald Trump. You have never walked a single day in our shoes. Our kids were murdered because of your administration, and you are partly to blame for that as well.
What happened at Arlington was, President Trump was invited by those families who have their soldiers buried at Arlington. They were invited there as a friend, as somebody who has taken the time, numerous times on numerous occasions, to hear our stories, to speak our kids' names, and to help us get some accountability from your administration. Because in over three years, we have gotten nothing but more and more lies. Just like your statement, more and more spun lies and cover-ups to make you and your administration look good.
But there is one thing that you said in your statement that was true. No one should be running for president if they cannot honor military members, their families, as well as veterans. So I guess that means that you should step down, Kamala.
Next was Coral Doolittle, mother of Corporal Humberto A. Sanchez:
My name is Coral Doolittle, and I am Corporal Humberto Sanchez's mother. This is my statement of what happened on Aug. 26, 2024. My son is not buried in Arlington, but I really feel like my – when President Trump went and paid tribute and paid his respect in Arlington for our kids, it was not just for the ones buried there, it was for all of our kids, and it was an invitation that the families actually extended to him, and it's not the first time that he actually met with us and shared time with our families.
After three years, until now, Kamala Harris and President Biden didn’t even say the 13 names. They called the withdrawal in Afghanistan a success, and for us, it was just sadness and a disgrace. They are the responsible persons of murdering our kids, and until this day they did not give us a meeting, they did not accept to meet with us and give us an explanation of what happened. Being him, the Commander-in-Chief, he definitely left our kids behind just to fill the agenda of his prior commitments.
I invite Kamala Harris and Joe Biden to accept the meeting with us, and meet with us and explain what was the whole deal behind the withdrawal in Afghanistan. I think, as parents, we deserve an explanation, and we deserve the truth of what happened with our kids that day.
And finally, Darin Hoover, father of Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover:
My name is Darin Hoover, and I am the Gold Star father of United States Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Taylor Hoover.
Kamala, I want you to understand – and I know this will be difficult for you because you lack empathy and basic understanding – the events on Aug. 26, 2024, with President Trump at Arlington National Cemetery were solemn and in keeping with the reverence and respect that is given to all members of our military that are buried there.
WE invited President Trump. WE are the ones that asked for the video and the pictures to be taken at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This was a very solemn wreath-laying in our son's name, along with the Sergeant Nicole Gee family, as well as two of our catastrophically-injured military members that were there on that horrific day, in the honor of our Abbey Gate 13. We then moved to the gravesite where our children are buried.
Again, we asked the Trump team to take the videos, take the pictures, of our time there. President Trump then laid a wreath at the graveside of Army Staff Sergeant Ryan Christian Knauss. There he talked to both his mother and father.
President Trump then moved to our son's grave, where we were surrounded by our family and friends, where we talked about Taylor and his sacrifice to this country. Let me be clear: there was no politics discussed – none whatsoever.
There was also not an assault that we observed take place. Or did we hear it. I don’t know where this is coming from, but it's disgusting and gross. President Trump has been there for us from the very beginning when our son and the other 12 of his brothers and sisters in arms were murdered due to your negligence and uncaring attitude toward our military.
Don’t forget, Kamala – you were the last one in the room. You and Joe Biden made the final decision on how to pull out of Afghanistan. YOU created the chaos and mayhem for the military to accomplish their goals.
Our sons and daughters made the best of a difficult situation, as they had been trained to do. They adapted and overcame all of that and came out as heroes – something that you will never know or understand. Kamala, we have been treated with the utmost respect, compassion and understanding by President Trump, something you and Joe Biden have refused to do since Aug. 26, 2021.
Where were you and Joe Biden on Aug. 26, 2024? Nowhere near Arlington Cemetery. You couldn’t be bothered to be with us or even say our kids’ names, just as you have done for the last three years. Neither one of you have called to speak with us or share in our grief.
I wonder, Kamala, do you sleep at night securely in your bed, or do you have nightmares of our kids? Because it was your incompetence and negligence that got our kids murdered. It is YOU who sends out messages on social media that are outright lies. It is YOU that has disrespected our families. It is YOU who knows nothing about service and sacrifice. It is YOU that has divided this country, and it is YOU who is unfit to be the commander-in-chief.
These are the only memories we get to make with our son, and it is YOU who is playing politics and trying to detract from our memories made that day. You should be ashamed and embarrassed at your lack of empathy and decency as a human being.
You are in this only for the power and prestige. You don’t care for our military or the citizens of this country. You should hang your head in shame at your actions – or lack thereof. You need to move aside, get out of the way, and stop hindering the progress, growth and independence of this great nation.
You can read a joint statement released by the Gold Star parents about the incident here.
Joey Clark is a native Alabamian and is currently the host of the radio program News and Views on News Talk 93.1 FM WACV out of Montgomery, AL M-F 12 p.m. - 3 p.m. His column appears every Tuesday in 1819 News. To contact Joey for media or speaking appearances as well as any feedback, please email joeyclarklive@gmail.com. Follow him on X @TheJoeyClark or watch the radio show livestream.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819news.com.
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