A Kamala Harris aide decided to lean further into the story surrounding Gold Star families and Donald Trump visiting Arlington National Cemetery. The ceremony in question was held in honor of the 13 American service members who were killed during the Afghanistan withdrawal, a decision Harris has long bragged about being the “last person in the room” for.
Instead of focusing on their memories, though, both the press and Harris have tried to make an issue of cameras being present, claiming that Trump disrespected “sacred ground.” That talking point was technically put to rest on Saturday when eight of the Gold Star families released videos lambasting the vice president for politicizing the issue and stating that they asked for the event to be videoed and photographed so they would have a memory of the day.
The smart move would have been to drop the issue, but on Monday, NBC News released a report citing a Harris aide claiming that the vice president wasn’t invited to be there. That was meant to push back on Sen. Tom Cotton’s claim on Sunday that both Harris and Joe Biden had the opportunity to show up.
WATCH: Tom Cotton Takes Down NBC News Anchor After She Lies Defending Kamala Harris
Gold Star families did not invite President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to Arlington National Cemetery by last week to commemorate the third anniversary of the attack at Abbey Gate in Afghanistan, a White House official and a Harris aide told NBC News, rebutting separate claims made Sunday by GOP Sen. Tom Cotton and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.
Whether that’s true or not is hard to pin down. For context, the mother-in-law of Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee (who was a victim of the suicide bombing at the Abbey Gate) said in her video statement that she couldn’t get Harris to return her calls. Was there an attempt to invite both the president and vice president that got scuttled simply because the administration continues to stonewall the Gold Star families involved? That’s certainly a possibility.
1. Gold Star Families of botched Afghanistan withdrawal slam VP Kamala Harris.
“Why won’t you return a call and explain to us how you call my daughter-in-law’s death a success?” — Christy Shamblin, mother-in-law of Sgt. Nicole Agee. pic.twitter.com/nr1hod7ixO
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) August 31, 2024
SEE: Gold Star Families Release Devastating Responses to Harris Politicizing Trump Cemetery Visit
It’s also just not that relevant and ignores the bigger issue at play. Harris couldn’t even be bothered to show up for the dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base despite taking credit for the withdrawal that got the service members in question killed. She was never going to show up for this wreath-laying ceremony and everyone knows it. It’s also been established that she won’t return the calls of the families anyway so Harris not receiving a formal invite isn’t surprising. You’d need to pick up the phone for that.
I have no idea why Harris continues to lean into this. The right move from the beginning was to shut up about the issue and just let it fade. By attacking Trump (and by proxy, the Gold Star families who wanted the pictures taken), the vice president has pumped new life into a story that does not play in her favor. Going after Gold Star families is never a good look, and using the biased press to do it via anonymous sources (in this case, an aide) looks even worse.
Harris has had the opportunity to do the right thing for years. She hasn’t done so. She has no moral authority to criticize others over respecting America’s war dead when she clearly doesn’t do so herself.
