Republican vice-presidential candidate and U.S. Senator J.D. Vance on Wednesday blamed Vice President Kamala Harris for the 2021 bombing at Kabul airport that killed 13 U.S. service members, accusing her of a “failure of leadership.”
While campaigning in Wisconsin, Vance expressed frustration over Harris’ role in the events surrounding the attack at Abbey Gate during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“Sometimes I get frustrated, and sometimes I get angry,” Vance said. “Kamala Harris’ failure in leadership at Abbey Gate is something to be frustrated and angry about. The administration is trying to turn a photographer’s presence at Arlington Cemetery into a political issue when, in fact, Harris has refused to support an investigation or even contact the families of those killed due to her leadership.”
Vance’s remarks come on the third anniversary of the bombing, which occurred on August 26, 2021. The attack, claimed by the Islamic State, killed 13 U.S. service members and over 100 Afghans during the chaotic U.S. evacuation from Afghanistan.
Vance is scheduled to attend a campaign event in De Pere, near Green Bay, on Wednesday evening.
