Vice President Kamala Harris issued a statement honoring the 13 U.S. service members killed during the withdrawal from Afghanistan three years ago but has not participated in any public memorials or events marking the anniversary.
According to Fox News, Harris released a statement early Monday morning naming the fallen service members and expressing condolences to their families.
In her statement, Harris called the 13 service members "devoted patriots" who represented "the best of America" by putting the nation and their fellow citizens above themselves. She said her prayers were with the families and loved ones of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
However, Fox News noted that Harris has been conspicuously absent from any public ceremonies or events commemorating the anniversary of the deaths that occurred during the evacuation from Kabul.
Harris posted her statement to her official Vice Presidential X account on Monday. When asked by Fox News Digital if Harris had plans to honor the service members during any live events, whether public or private, neither her campaign nor her vice presidential office provided a response.
The anniversary comes just after Harris wrapped up her appearance at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last week. There, she officially accepted the Democratic Party's nomination for president after President Biden dropped out of the race amid concerns over his mental fitness.
Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, are reportedly scheduled to visit Georgia next week in their first public event following the DNC convention. However, no events related to commemorating the fallen service members appear to be on her public schedule.
President Biden also released an early morning statement honoring the 13 fallen U.S. service members. He is currently at his beach home in Delaware with no public events scheduled for the day.
In contrast, former President Donald Trump traveled to Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. He was joined by family members of those killed in Afghanistan three years ago.
Trump has been vocal in his criticism of the Biden administration's handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal. In a social media post on Monday, he called it the "most embarrassing moment" in U.S. history.
When questioned about why Biden and Harris did not host or attend public events as Trump did, White House national security communications adviser John Kirby defended their approach. He stated:
You don't have to look very far at the president and the first lady's track record and the vice president's track record, over the last three and a half years to see how deeply devoted they are to the men and women of our military and to our veterans and to their families.
Kirby added that there are "many ways" for U.S. leaders to honor fallen service members that do not necessarily involve public ceremonies or media attention. He emphasized the ongoing work being done to support military families, even if it occurs without fanfare or TV cameras.
Vice President Harris issued a statement honoring the 13 service members killed during the Afghanistan withdrawal but has not participated in any public events marking the anniversary. This absence has drawn attention, especially in comparison to former President Trump's public appearance at Arlington National Cemetery. The White House has defended the administration's approach, emphasizing ongoing support for military families even without public ceremonies.
