Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) thoroughly rejected Kamala Harris’ attacks on Gold Star families by accusing him of orchestrating a “political stunt” by paying tribute to the 13 fallen service members who were killed during the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
On Saturday, Vice President Kamala Harris accused her Republican opponent of “disrespecting sacred ground” by laying a wreath in honor of the 13 Kabul suicide bombing victims at the behest of their families.
In the lengthy post, Harris falsely accused the president of getting into an “altercation” with cemetery staff, an accusation that has been thoroughly debunked. “Let me be clear: the former president disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt,” she wrote.
The vice president was not done with hoaxes, as she then repeated the thoroughly debunked “suckers and losers” hoax. “This is a man who is unable to comprehend anything other than service to himself,” Harris wrote.
In response, Gold Star families released statements in support of Trump and confirmed that he was invited. Vice President Harris and President Biden were also invited to pay their respects, though they did not attend.
“President Trump was invited by us, the Gold Star families, to attend the solemn ceremonies commemorating the three-year anniversary of our children’s deaths,” said the families in a joint statement. “He was there to honor their sacrifice, yet Vice President Harris has disgracefully twisted this sacred moment into a political ploy.”
As Vice President, I have had the privilege of visiting Arlington National Cemetery several times. It is a solemn place; a place where we come together to honor American heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of this nation.
It is not a place for politics.
And…
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 31, 2024
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During Sunday’s edition of “Meet The Press,” Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), a veteran of the wars of Iraq and Afghanistan, further defended the former president against the Harris Campaign’s smear.
“Bottom line though, I guess Senator, is it ever appropriate to make campaign content at military gravesites?” host Kristen Welker asked.
“He didn’t take campaign photos. There are these families, Gold Star families, whose children died because of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ incompetence, invited him to the cemetery. And they asked him to take those photos,” Cotton answered.
“Because as as they told me yesterday, when I spoke to Kelly Barnett and Darren Hoover, the parents of Taylor Hoover, who has Arkansas ties, they don’t get to go to the beach on Labor Day. They don’t get to have barbecues. This is their one chance to have a memory of their children to commemorate their service and to honor their sacrifice. They wanted President Trump there,” he continued.
“They wanted to take those photos. You know who the family’s also invited? Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Where were they? Joe Biden was sitting at a beach. Kamala Harris was sitting at her mansion in Washington, D.C.”
Cotton noted that Harris was in the D.C. area and could have easily made a trip to Arlington to pay her respects if she wanted to.
“Her and Joe Biden’s incompetence that those 13 Americans were killed in Afghanistan,” Cotton said.
