(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Gold Star father Mark Schmitz voiced his frustrations about the handling of the tragic events surrounding the deadly withdrawal of U.S. troops in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021.
In an emotional testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday, Schmitz slammed what he described as a lack of accountability for the actions of the Biden administration, going as far as calling President Joe Biden a “disgrace to this nation.”
“Two years have gone by and where are we? To be frank, we’re knee deep in bullshit, is where we are,” Schmitz stated, the Daily Caller reported. “Everyone who held a key position in the military still has that position or has been promoted. Not a single person has been held accountable. Our so-called leader can’t seem to even utter their names in public, not even once.”
Schmitz’s son, Marine Corps Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz, was among the 13 U.S. service members who lost their lives in the attack. The emotion-filled father drew attention to Biden himself during the gripping testimony.
“Mr. Biden has run his entire campaign for 50 years as the family man,” the Gold Star father continued. “Well I’ve got news for you, sir. The curtain has been lifting and that campaign slogan will never work again. We have seen what’s going on in your family and even worse, we’ve seen how you’ve been treating us as Gold Star families. And there couldn’t be anything more disgusting and cowardly than the way you have treated us. You are a disgrace to this nation.”
Schmitz’s emotional testimony continued, “You, sir, stole their lives, their futures, their dreams and have ripped apart 13 families. You cannot even man up and admit that. You, sir, gave us all the title ‘Gold Star family.’ You, sir, discredit honor and integrity.”
Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., hinted at the depth of the Gold Star families’ grief during an interview on Fox News on Saturday.
“These families are angry,” Waltz said on Fox and Friends Weekend. “They feel like they’ve been lied to and misled about exactly how their loved ones died and some of them still don’t have some of the personal effects.”
Despite mounting demands for accountability, Biden issued a vague statement on Saturday, saying, “Today, Jill and I remember and mourn these 13 brave American service members… We pray for the families of our fallen warriors. We grieve with them, we honor them, and we will always continue to support them.”
