(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Gold Star families are rebuking President Joe Biden after he denied the deaths of American servicemen during his administration.
Biden made this assertion in the contentious CNN debate with Donald Trump on Thursday, widely characterized by Biden’s gaffes and blunders.
Under Biden’s watch, a total of 16 servicemen have lost their lives, according to the New York Post. This included 13 during the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal and three others in Jordan in January.
Biden says that he's the "only president of the 20th century" who has had no American troops dead since he's been president.
13 American service members killed during his horrible Afghanistan withdrawal were unavailable were comment. pic.twitter.com/zaFMvgetCO
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) June 28, 2024
The grieving families of these servicemen made their voices heard in interviews with the Post, expressing their frustration.
Mark Schmitz, father of Marine Cpl. Jared Schmitz who died in Kabul, expressed outrage at Biden’s dismissal of his son’s death.
“I was beyond ticked off, disrespected,” he told the Post. “That’s all we’ve ever gotten out of this president.”
Schmitz added, “My poor kids were in the next room – let’s just say I ultimately ended up having to apologize to them for my language. It took all self restraint not to put my fist right through my TV.”
Steve Nikoui, father of Marine Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, echoed Schmitz’s sentiments, highlighting widespread frustration.
“I did see that, and I was just as shocked as anyone else, but I wasn’t surprised,” he stated. “I’m glad that the rest of America is able to see what we’ve been dealing with for the last three years.”
Nikoui gained national attention for disrupting Biden’s 2024 State of the Union to honor the 13 servicemen killed at Abbey Gate. He was viciously arrested by U.S. Capitol Police for the disruption.
The man who shouted and got forcibly removed from #SOTU was Steve Nikoui.
His son Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui was killed in Biden’s botched Afghanistan withdrawal. He shouted "13 Marines".
The gaslighting about Americans being safe must have infuriated him. pic.twitter.com/2jtNcsQMQq
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) March 8, 2024
“What he did last night was he basically refused to honor the service and sacrifice of the 13 servicemen and women that were killed at the Abbey gate directly – were killed because of his incompetence – and he refuses, since that’s happened, to even recognize them,” Nikoui added.
Christy Shamblin, the mother-in-law of Sgt. Nicole Gee, dismissed excuses attributing Biden’s blunder to age.
“It’s always an excuse, but the reality is that these 13 died, and many more were injured, and 180 Afghans died at that moment,” she told the Post. “This was supposed to be a peacekeeping mission and evacuation. Our kids weren’t there at war, and he couldn’t even bring them home – couldn’t get that right.”
Despite Biden’s assertions, the Pentagon affirmed that Biden has endured the death of several servicemen.
Biden's own Pentagon press secretary admits Biden was LYING when he outrageously claimed he's the "only president this century" not to have any troops killed during his term pic.twitter.com/OXZSgiYbJ3
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 28, 2024
