Donald Trump declared the fourth anniversary of the deadly Abbey Gate terror attack during Joe Biden’s catastrophic Afghanistan withdrawal a day of commemoration for the brave military personnel who were killed.
Trump issued a proclamation for the August 26 anniversary during which he urged “all Americans to remember the heroism of the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, and the Gold Star Families who carry on their proud legacy.” Yesterday, he met with the families of the 2021 terror attack’s victims at the White House.
President Trump honored Gold Star families at the White House on Monday, four years after 13 military service members were killed in Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/OeDBx7aNGn
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 25, 2025
In his proclamation, Trump offered his “enduring love and our unwavering devotion” to those whose family members were killed at Abbey Gate, Kabul, and also cited the other victims who survived but “horrifically suffered life-altering wounds.” He thanked all our military personnel who have served in the Middle East, too.
“The events of that day led to an unimaginable loss of human life and the single most embarrassing display of American foreign policy in the history of our country,” Trump declared:
In the wake of the attack, countless Americans and our Afghan allies were abandoned behind Taliban lines, 10 innocent civilians — including children — were killed in a feckless counterstrike ordered by President Biden, $85 billion worth of United States military equipment was surrendered to the enemy, and 20 years of American blood and treasure were utterly squandered. The weakness and incompetence that led to Abbey Gate lived on in the American memory as the moment our credibility was all but lost — until the clock struck noon on January 20, 2025.
The ISIS terrorist responsible for the Kabul jihad attack was apprehended this year under the Trump administration, the president noted in the proclamation.
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Trump also mentioned that Biden not only botched the Afghanistan withdrawal, which contributed to the circumstances of the terror attack, but also infamously checked his watch during the ceremony welcoming the victims’ coffins.
The president then listed the fallen troops’ names:
Staff Sergeant Darin T. Hoover, USMC; Sergeant Johanny Rosario Pichardo, USMC; Sergeant Nicole L. Gee, USMC; Corporal Hunter Lopez, USMC; Corporal Daegan W. Page, USMC; Corporal Humberto A. Sanchez, USMC; Lance Corporal David L. Espinoza, USMC; Lance Corporal Jared M. Schmitz, USMC; Lance Corporal Rylee J. McCollum, USMC; Lance Corporal Dylan R. Merola, USMC; Lance Corporal Kareem M. Nikoui, USMC; Petty Officer Third Class Maxton W. Soviak, USN; and Staff Sergeant Ryan C. Knauss, USA.
By working to make America respected and its troops strong again, the Trump administration is doing honor to the fallen heroes and ensuring that their deaths were not in vain, the proclamation argued.
In conclusion, Trump stated that “we honor the memory of the 13 brave souls and every military service member to ever die in the line of duty — and we renew our resolve to protect American lives, defend American interests, and uphold American sovereignty.”
Indeed, we should honor the fallen and injured troops who were present at the Kabul attack and remember also all fallen heroes and Gold Star families.
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