Speakers at the Republican National Convention criticized President Biden’s handling of the messy withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Kabul airport bombing that killed 13 service members.
The RNC showed video interviews with several Gold Star families who lost loved ones in the 2021 bombing, then invited several of them onto the stage to hold up portraits of the victims.
“There has been a deafening silence from the Biden-Harris administration,” said Alicia Lopez, a Gold Star family member who stood next to her husband, Herman, on stage.
“Despite our pleas for explanation and accountability, they have tried to push us aside and silence us. The Biden administration has not acknowledged its flawed decisions,” she said. “They have not been transparent about their failures, and their so-called leaders have sought to protect themselves, not our sons and daughters who are sworn to protect our country.”
Herman Lopez read out the names of all 13 soldiers killed in the Kabul airport bombing, and attendees repeated them aloud. Speeches by family members included, “Never forget!” and “Joe must go!”
“Joe Biden would not acknowledge their sacrifice, but Donald Trump spent six hours with us in Bedminster,” said Christy Shamblin, who lost her daughter-in-law. “He allowed us to grieve. He allowed us to remember our heroes. Donald Trump knew all our children’s names.”
Biden defended the withdrawal from Afghanistan, which has come under intense scrutiny amid reports of U.S. casualties.
“Let me be clear: our withdrawal on August 31st is not an arbitrary deadline; it is designed to save American lives,” Biden said in late August 2021.
“I did not intend to prolong this war forever, nor did I intend to prolong the withdrawal forever. The decision to end the military airlift operation at Kabul airport was based on the unanimous recommendation of my civilian and military advisors, including the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, all military commanders, and commanders in the field,” he explained.
Other speakers, including political candidates, also used the opportunity to criticize the president over his handling of the withdrawal.
“Just think for a moment about Biden’s dishonorable withdrawal from Afghanistan, allowing the enemy to steal billions of dollars of equipment and kill 13 brave American service members,” Montana Republican Senate candidate Tim Sheehy said Tuesday. “To this day, there has been no accountability. Absolutely not.”
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) said in a speech at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday that Biden has “embraced one failed policy after another.”
“While President Trump brought the Afghanistan war to an orderly end without any American deaths in nearly two years, Biden ordered a chaotic and panicked withdrawal that left 13 American troops and hundreds of Afghans dead.”
