MILWAUKEE — Relatives of some of the 13 American servicemen killed appeared on stage at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday during the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in an emotional moment that revived one of the low points of President Joe Biden’s presidency.
Many of the Gold Star families have criticized Biden for never publicly naming their loved ones. Onstage Wednesday, one family member named each of the 13 service members, and the audience repeated each name as it was read aloud.
“Joe Biden has refused to acknowledge their sacrifice,” Christy Shamblin, the mother-in-law of Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee, told the crowd. “Donald Trump knew all of our children’s names. He knew all of their stories.”
The crowd chanted “Never forget!” and “USA!” as Trump and the entire convention hall stood.
The display on the third day of the RNC was an implicit response to Biden’s repeated rebukes of Trump and his claims that the former president disrespects veterans. Biden has frequently cited a claim by retired Gen. John Kelly, who served as Trump’s chief of staff, that Trump called fallen World War II soldiers losers and suckers. Trump denies the allegation.
US troops and 60 Afghans were killed in a suicide bombing at Kabul airport in August 2021, as the US was frantically evacuating Americans and Afghans who had helped the West during two decades of war.
The parents and loved ones of these servicemen have since been thrust into the political spotlight, appearing in congressional hearings and giving interviews in the news.
Republicans have argued that Biden’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan after the two-decade war was strictly a political move. But the agreement for the U.S. to withdraw from Afghanistan was signed by the Trump administration in February 2020. The deal called for U.S. troops to leave by May 2021, but Trump left office that January without leaving a plan for an actual troop withdrawal.
Months before the peace deal with the Taliban was signed in Doha, Qatar, Trump had considered inviting Taliban leaders to Camp David to sign an agreement. Those plans, vehemently opposed by senior military officials, were shelved after a Taliban attack killed an American soldier.
Criticism of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan resonates with voters across the spectrum. Former Biden supporters, such as former New Hampshire House Speaker Steve Shurtleff, have cited the failed withdrawal as one reason he wants Biden to step aside.
Biden’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Cooper reported from Phoenix.