On Wednesday, Gold Star families who lost loved ones at the Abbey Gate bombing in Afghanistan gave a speech at the Republican National Convention. On the RNC stage, they criticized President Joe Biden’s inability to protect U.S. troops and interests. The tear-ridden speech was a powerful and moving reminder of the broader disaster of Biden’s foreign policy.
The Abbey Gate bombing occurred on Aug. 26, 2021, days before the final pullout of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. As the country collapsed around them, 13 U.S. service members and 170 Afghan civilians were killed by an IED. The perpetrator was a lone ISIS suicide bomber who was released from a Taliban prison as they overran Kabul.
The speech began with the trembling voice of Christy Shamblin, the mother-in-law of Sgt. Nicole Gee. She described how Joe Biden didn’t understand or care about the losses the Gold Star families onstage had experienced.
“Look at our faces. Look at our pain. And our heartbreak. And look at our rage,” said Cherly Jules, the aunt of Sgt. Gee, continued.
“Never again,” the crowd chanted in response.
The next speakers were Alicia and Herman Lopez, who spoke as tears slid down their faces. They were not the only ones crying. Throughout the audience, tears could be seen. Toward the end of the speech, Herman Lopez recited the names of the 13 service members who lost their lives at Abbey Gate. The crowd repeated each name back to him.
These names are not forgotten by the RNC audience or the rest of America. But during June’s debate, Biden falsely claimed that not a single service member died during his time in office. Not only did U.S. troops die in 2021 in Afghanistan, but others have died following the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
These deaths trace the failures of the Biden administration’s foreign policy. The first deaths occurred during the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan. Incompetent leadership and planning led to the chaotic scene at the Abbey Gate bombing.
Then, earlier this year, two Navy SEALs died. One fell into the sea as he boarded a ship smuggling lethal aid from Iran to Yemen, and the other dived after him. Neither of the SEALs was seen again. Just weeks later, three U.S. soldiers were killed by a drone strike in Jordan. The attacker was an Iranian proxy militia.
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This is after years of the Biden administration’s appeasement of Iran. Even after these deadly attacks and the war in Gaza, there is no indication that the Biden administration plans to change its Iran strategy.
In Afghanistan, the Red Sea, and Jordan, U.S. servicemembers have died under Biden’s watch. In response to these tragedies, the president has not properly punished U.S. adversaries for their attacks on U.S. troops. The Gold Star families’ speech at the RNC is a powerful reminder that Biden cannot be relied upon to protect our troops or our interests. A stronger hand is needed.