President Joe Biden is facing backlash from the families of fallen service members killed in the 2021 Kabul airport attack, with some alleging he delayed their reception of the caskets by hours due to napping on Air Force One.
On August 26, 2021, during the final days of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, a suicide bombing at Kabul’s Abbey Gate killed 13 U.S. service members and over 170 Afghan civilians. The families of the deceased attended a “dignified transfer” ceremony at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to receive the remains of their loved ones.
Allegations of delay
According to Roice McCollum, whose brother Marine Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum was among those killed, the grieving families were made to wait for hours due to the president’s reported nap on Air Force One. A military officer reportedly informed McCollum of the reason for the delay.
Darin Hoover, the father of Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, and Christy Shamblin, the mother-in-law of Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee, corroborated this account.
“We sat in that office for what seemed like an eternity waiting on the doddering old fool,” Hoover told the Daily Mail.
This incident adds to existing criticism of the administration’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal, widely seen as a low point in Biden’s presidency.
The White House’s response
A White House spokesperson denied the allegations, calling them “untrue.” The spokesperson emphasized Biden’s commitment to honoring the fallen soldiers, citing the president’s statements on the fourth anniversary of the Abbey Gate bombing.
Biden previously faced criticism for appearing to check his watch during the same dignified transfer ceremony, a moment captured on video that drew widespread outrage from military families. White House allies initially attempted to deny the incident.
A broader controversy
The claims of the president napping on Air Force One have reignited debates over the administration’s handling of military affairs and Biden’s fitness for office. Families of the victims have continued to express anger over what they view as a lack of accountability and sensitivity from the administration.
For many, the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan remains a deeply personal wound, compounded by incidents like the dignified transfer delays, which they argue demonstrate a failure to honor the sacrifices made by their loved ones.
