Republican Senator Tom Cotton has criticized Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden for declining invitations from Gold Star families to join them and former President Donald Trump at Arlington National Cemetery.
The event, which took place last week, commemorated the third anniversary of the deaths of service members killed in a suicide bombing at Kabul International Airport during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
According to The New York Post, Cotton, a decorated Army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, defended Trump's appearance at the cemetery while slamming the current administration's absence.
Cotton's comments came during an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" where he addressed Harris's criticism of Trump's visit as a "political stunt." The senator countered this claim, stating that the Gold Star families had invited Trump and requested photos with him during the wreath-laying ceremony.
Cotton revealed that the Gold Star families had also extended invitations to both Harris and Biden to attend the event at Arlington National Cemetery. However, neither the President nor the Vice President accepted the invitation. The senator pointed out that while the families were meeting with Trump at the cemetery, Biden was vacationing in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and Harris was at her residence in Washington, D.C.
The Arkansas senator emphasized the proximity of Harris's residence to Arlington, noting that she was only about four miles away from the cemetery. He expressed disappointment that the Vice President did not take the opportunity to honor the fallen service members, despite being just a short distance from the event.
Cotton also claimed that Harris has never spoken to or met with these Gold Star families, further criticizing the administration's handling of relationships with the families of fallen soldiers.
In his critique, Cotton did not limit his comments to the recent Arlington event. He also placed blame on Biden and Harris for the deaths of the 13 service members outside Kabul airport in 2021. The senator stated, "It is because of her and Joe Biden's incompetence that those 13 Americans were killed in Afghanistan."
This statement reflects the ongoing criticism from some quarters regarding the handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, which resulted in the tragic loss of American lives.
Cotton referenced video messages released by relatives of seven of the 13 victims of the Kabul airport bombing. These family members expressed their disapproval of Harris's attempt to politicize Trump's visit to Arlington National Cemetery.
In a joint statement released through the Trump campaign, the families made it clear that they had invited the former president to attend the commemoration. They emphasized that Trump's presence was intended to honor the sacrifice of their children rather than serve any political purpose.
The families' statement directly contradicted Harris's assertion, stating that the Vice President had "disgracefully twisted this sacred moment into a political ploy." This response from the Gold Star families adds another layer to the ongoing debate about the appropriate way to honor fallen service members and the role of political figures in such commemorations.
Senator Tom Cotton's criticism of Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden for not attending the Arlington National Cemetery event has sparked controversy. The senator defended former President Donald Trump's presence at the invitation of Gold Star families while condemning the current administration's absence. The Gold Star families' response to Harris's criticism of Trump's visit has further complicated the narrative, highlighting the sensitive nature of such commemorations in the current political climate.
