Jen Psaki Criticized by Gold Star Families of 13 Service Members Killed in Afghanistan for ‘Dishonest’ Claims About Biden Showing the ‘Contempt’ They Showed to Their Murdered Children
Relatives of US troops killed in the Kabul suicide bombing in Afghanistan criticized former White House press secretary Jen Psaki after she made false claims about President Joe Biden in her new book.
Psaki wrote in her new book Say more lessons from work, the White House, and the world that reports that President Biden looked at his watch during the dignified transfer ceremony for the slain troops at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware were “misinformation.”
Several members of the families of troops killed in Afghanistan expressed frustration with Psaki for denying the incident, which many of them personally witnessed.
Biden was caught on camera twice during the ceremony looking at his watch, a claim that was made repeatedly fact checked and found true.
“Jen Psaki’s claim in her book that this was ‘misinformation’ is not only unfair, but reinforces the contempt that Biden administration officials have shown us in the wake of the Abbey Gate terrorist attack that killed of our children, they said in an exclusive statement sent to DailyMail.com.
Jen Psaki speaks about her book ‘Say More: Lessons from Work, the White House, and the World’
“We watched in horror as President Biden checked his wristwatch multiple times during the dignified handover of our children in Dover,” they said.
The group called on Psaki’s book publisher and her employer MSNBC to address the error.
“We call on Simon & Schuster and MSNBC to hold Ms. Psaki accountable for publishing this unfair attack on Gold Star families,” they concluded.
Psaki admitted told Axios on Monday that she would update the digital copy of her book and correct the error in future printings.
Darin Hoover, the father of Marine Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover and Mark Schmitz said he witnessed Biden looking at his watch after each soldier was transferred.
“They broke out the salute and he looked down at his watch with every last salute,” Hoover said at a 2021 meeting. interview on Fox News. “All thirteen, he looked at his watch.”
The statement to DailyMail.com was signed by Mark Schmitz and Jaclyn Schmitz, the father and stepmother of Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz, Coral Briseno, mother of Cpl. Humberto Sanchez, Darin Hoover and Kelly Barnett, the father and mother of Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, Cheryl Jules and Christy Shamblin, the aunt and mother-in-law of Sgt. Nicole Gee, Steve Nikoui, father of Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, Herman and Alicia Lopez, the father and mother of Cpl. Hunter Lopez and Jim McCollum, father of Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum.
The 13 US service members killed in the 2021 Kabul bombing. LR 1 – Cpl. Daegan W. Page 2 – Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo 3 – Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover 4 – Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza 5 – Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum 6 – Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui 7 – Cpl. Hunter Lopez 8 – Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz 9 – Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss 10 – Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez 11 – Marine Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak 12 – Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola 13 – Sergeant. Nicole L. Gee
‘Say more. Lessons from Work, the White House, and the World’ by Jen Psaki released May 7, 2024
Jen Psaki speaks on stage during Jen Psaki in conversation with Lawrence O’Donnell –
Representative Mike Waltz (R-FL) convicted Psaki for trying to smear the reputation of military families.
“Calling Gold Star families liars – even when there is photographic evidence – is a pathetic, partisan attempt to defend your boss and a bad look,” he wrote on social media.