The situation surrounding Vice President Kamala Harris and her handling of the Gold Star families continues to evolve, and it’s raising some serious questions about her approach. This all stems from the controversy over Donald Trump’s visit to Arlington National Cemetery to honor the 13 American service members who were killed during the Afghanistan withdrawal—a decision Harris has repeatedly claimed credit for being “the last person in the room” to approve.
Now, instead of focusing on the solemnity of the occasion and the memories of those who were lost, the narrative has been sidetracked by accusations that Trump disrespected “sacred ground” by having cameras present during the event.
This talking point seemed to take a hit when eight of the Gold Star families involved released videos defending Trump and criticizing Harris. They made it clear that they had requested the event be photographed and videoed so they would have a lasting memory of the day.
You might think that this would be the end of it, but on Monday, NBC News released a report featuring an anonymous Harris aide who claimed that the vice president wasn’t invited to the ceremony in the first place. This was a response to GOP Sen. Tom Cotton and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who had both pointed out that Harris and President Joe Biden had the opportunity to attend but chose not to.
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
Whether or not Harris was formally invited is up for debate. The mother-in-law of Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee, one of the service members who died in the Abbey Gate attack, mentioned in her video statement that she couldn’t even get Harris to return her calls. So, it’s possible that any attempt to invite Harris was stymied by the administration’s lack of responsiveness to the Gold Star families. But even if Harris didn’t receive an official invite, it misses the bigger point: she didn’t show up when it mattered most, and she hasn’t engaged with these families in a meaningful way since the withdrawal.
This isn’t the first time Harris has faced criticism for her handling of this issue. She didn’t attend the dignified transfer of the fallen service members at Dover Air Force Base, despite having taken credit for the withdrawal that led to their deaths.
Given that history, it’s hard to imagine she would have shown up for this wreath-laying ceremony even if she had been invited. And as the families have pointed out, she’s been unresponsive to their attempts to reach out, so it’s no surprise that they didn’t extend a formal invite.
What’s baffling is why Harris continues to lean into this narrative. The smart move from the beginning would have been to let the issue fade into the background, rather than attacking Trump—and by extension, the Gold Star families—over the event. By doing so, she’s only breathed new life into a story that reflects poorly on her. Going after Gold Star families is a political misstep that rarely ends well, and using anonymous sources in the media to do it only makes it worse.
