Ladies and gentlemen, let’s delve into the recent firestorm ignited at the Republican National Convention (RNC), where CNN commentator David Urban laid into President Joe Biden for his failure to meet with the families of the 13 U.S. service members killed in the Abbey Gate attack in August 2021.
This glaring oversight was in stark contrast to former President Donald Trump’s actions, as Trump invited these families to share their stories and showed a level of empathy that Biden seemingly did not.
Urban didn’t hold back, criticizing Biden for not recognizing the sacrifice of these fallen heroes. He highlighted how Trump not only knew the names of the service members but also their stories, as demonstrated by the moving testimony of SGT.
Nicole Gee’s mother-in-law. Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL), a combat veteran and the first Green Beret elected to Congress, added to this narrative, sharing how Trump had planned to meet with the families for an hour but ended up staying over six hours, listening and offering support.
Mother-in-Law of Sgt. Nicole Leeann Gee, who was killed in the attack on Abbey Gate:
“While Joe Biden has refused to recognize their sacrifice…Donald Trump knew all of our children’s names. He knew their stories.” pic.twitter.com/6loatdaNSy
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 18, 2024
At the RNC, these Gold Star families were given a platform to voice their grief and disappointment with Biden’s handling of the situation. This move by the RNC to spotlight the families further fueled the criticism of Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, which Urban and others labeled as disastrous.
Urban’s emotional reaction was palpable as he recounted the father of Hunter Lopez reading the names of the fallen. “The fact that Joe Biden never met with those families, the fact that Joe Biden forgot — forgot — that those kids died is just unforgivable,” Urban said, expressing a sentiment that resonated with many veterans and their families.
CNN’s @DavidJUrban on the Gold Star families at #RNC2024: “It’s just unforgivable. I mean, Hunter Lopez — his father. Andrew — I got choked up his father’s reading those names. As somebody who’s went to West Point, served in the military, has been deployed overseas, fought in… pic.twitter.com/H4xLAmykq9
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) July 18, 2024
ABC News’ Terry Moran also weighed in, describing the profound connection between the RNC crowd and the family members of the fallen. The spontaneous chants of “never forget” and the emotional recitation of the names created an extraordinary moment at the convention. Moran noted that the anger and sense of abandonment felt by many veterans, spanning from the Vietnam era to those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, were unmistakable.
ABC’s @TerryMoran on the Gold Star families at #RNC2024: “David, I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced anything like that at a convention. The connection between this crowd and those family members of the fallen. It was just absolutely extraordinary. The emotions, the call and… pic.twitter.com/Nr8pTUT6mu
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) July 18, 2024
This poignant episode at the RNC underscores a broader sentiment of dissatisfaction among veterans and their families with the current administration. The raw emotions and testimonies highlighted a deep-seated frustration with how the sacrifices of these service members have been acknowledged—or rather, not acknowledged—by President Biden.
