Ted Cruz rips Kamala Harris for 'ignoring' service members killed during Afghanistan withdrawal

By Jenny Anna Mathew
Published on : 05:03 PST, Sep 5, 2024

In a recent podcast, Ted Cruz alleged that Vice President Kamala Harris declined an invitation to attend the memorial service at Arlington Cemetery (Getty Images)

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA: Senator Ted Cruz launched a scathing attack on Vice President Kamala Harris, accusing her of "ignoring" the 13 service members who lost their lives in the suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul during President Joe Biden's botched 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal.

In his latest 'Verdict' podcast episode, Cruz criticized the controversy surrounding former president Donald Trump's recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery for the soldiers' memorial service and labeled it a "political stunt."

"Look, this was just a cynical attempt from the Kamala Harris campaign to shift the attention to one of the most egregious and catastrophic foreign policy failures of Joe Biden's and her leadership," the senator claimed.

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN - AUGUST 21: In this handout image provided by the Ministry of Defence, the Briti — British armed forces worked with the US military to evacuate eligible civilians and their families out of the country on August 21, 2021, in Kabul, Afghanistan (MoD Crown Copyright via Getty Images)

Ted Cruz claims Kamala Harris snubbed Arlington memorial service

The senator didn't hold back, further lambasting Kamala Harris for what he perceived as her failure to show empathy toward the families of the fallen soldiers. He accused her of attempting to "change the subject" by directing criticism at Trump, who attended the ceremony at the invitation of the Gold Star families. "He [Trump] went and laid a wreath at their tombs to honor their death. And he did so at the invitation of the Gold Star families who wanted him there," Cruz stated.

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA - AUGUST 26: Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump stands alongside Misty Fuoco, whose sister Sgt. Nicole Gee died in Abbey Gate Bombing, at a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on August 26, 2024 in Arlington, Virginia. Monday marks three years since the August 26, 2021, suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport, which killed 13 American service members. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) — Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump stands alongside Misty Fuoco, whose sister Sgt Nicole Gee died in the Abbey Gate Bombing, at a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on August 26, in Arlington, Virginia (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Adding fuel to the fire, Cruz alleged that Harris declined an invitation to attend the memorial service herself. "Kamala Harris declined to come," he revealed. "She was just a few miles away, but she was not willing to come to Arlington Cemetery to acknowledge their deaths."

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 08: U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris addresses the National League of Cities — Ted Cruz alleged that Kamala Harris declined an invitation to attend the memorial service herself (Getty Images)

Donald Trump campaign staff's altercation with Arlington Cemetery official

The controversy surrounding Donald Trump's attendance was further heightened by an incident in which his campaign staff claimed they were "physically blocked" by a cemetery staff member from entering a section of Arlington. The staff member was later described as a "despicable individual" who was "clearly suffering from a mental health episode," according to Trump's team, per Newsweek.

DOVER, DELAWARE - AUGUST 29: In this handout photo provided by the U.S. Air Force, a U.S. Marine Cor — In this handout photo provided by the US Air Force, a US Marine Corps carry team transfers the remains of Marine Corps Lance Cpl Kareem M Nikoui of Norco, California at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware (Jason Minto/US Air Force via Getty Images)

However, the US Army publicly defended the staff member, stating that she was simply doing her job by informing the Trump team that photography and videography were not permitted in Section 60—the area designated for service members killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Donald Trump posed for photograph with the family members of deceased soldier at the Arlington National Cemetry on August 26, 2024 (@GovCox/X) — Donald Trump posed for a photograph with the family members of a deceased soldier at the Arlington National Cemetry on August 26 (@GovCox/X)

Political campaigning is illegal at Arlington National Cemetery, and the Army rebuked Trump's staff for their actions. An Army spokesperson commented, "It is unfortunate that the ANC employee and her professionalism have been unfairly attacked." The staff member reportedly chose not to press charges out of concern for potential retaliation from Trump supporters.

Despite the prohibition, Trump went on to release a campaign video on TikTok, which included footage from Arlington. He was also photographed at one of the gravesites, smiling and giving a thumbs-up, at the request of one of the families.

Gold Star families slam Kamala Harris for 'politicizing' Donald Trump's Arlington visit

The incident sparked widespread criticism from veterans' groups, members of Donald Trump's own administration, and Vice President Kamala Harris, who spoke out against the 45th president's actions on Saturday. However, the situation took another turn on Sunday when the families of seven of the 13 fallen service members released a public letter supporting Trump.

In the letter, the families accused Harris of "politicizing" Trump's presence at the cemetery and clarified that the former president had attended at their invitation. "President Trump was invited by us, the Gold Star Families, to attend the solemn ceremonies," they wrote. "Yet Vice President Harris has disgracefully twisted this sacred moment into a political ploy."

The families also expressed their frustration with Harris, alleging that she had refused to meet with them to discuss their loss. They described her actions as a "deep betrayal" and placed blame on the Biden-Harris administration for the deaths of their loved ones. "Her administration's catastrophic mishandling of the Afghanistan withdrawal directly led to the murder of thirteen service members, including our children," they stated.

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