Grieving families of the 13 U.S. service members killed in the Kabul airport bombing during the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan are speaking out, accusing President Joe Biden of delaying the dignified transfer ceremony for hours because he was napping on Air Force One. The emotional accusations add to the criticism surrounding Biden’s handling of the withdrawal and his interactions with the families of the fallen.
On August 26, 2021, a suicide bomber exploited the crowded scene at Hamid Karzai International Airport, killing 13 U.S. service members and over 170 Afghan civilians. The attack was one of the darkest moments of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, with critics blaming Biden’s administration for the poorly planned evacuation.
Among the fallen was 20-year-old Marine Rylee McCollum from Wyoming, a recent high school graduate and soon-to-be father. His death, like those of his comrades, left his family heartbroken and outraged.
During the dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base, where the remains of the fallen were returned to U.S. soil, grieving families claim they were forced to wait an additional three hours. Roice McCollum, Rylee’s sister, revealed that a military officer informed them the delay was due to Biden napping on Air Force One.
“(Biden) made us wait an extra three hours to receive the bodies of our dead family members because he couldn’t pull it together,” Roice told The Daily Mail.
Christy Shamblin, mother-in-law of Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee, and Darin Hoover, father of Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover—both of whom died in the attack—shared similar accounts. They described the wait as agonizing and added that the president’s actions added insult to their immense grief.
“We sat in that office for what seemed like an eternity waiting on the doddering old fool,” Hoover said.
The families’ frustrations were further compounded by Biden’s behavior during the ceremony. Onlookers noted the president checking his watch multiple times while the coffins of the fallen service members were being unloaded. This moment, widely circulated in the media, became a flashpoint for criticism, with many interpreting it as a sign of disrespect and detachment.
“I couldn’t believe it when I saw him look at his watch,” one family member recounted. “It was like he had somewhere more important to be.”
Biden met privately with the Gold Star families, but these encounters reportedly did little to assuage their grief or anger. McCollum’s mother, Shana Chappell, confronted Biden, blaming him for her son’s death and the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Accounts from other families suggest Biden struggled to connect with the mourning relatives. Some felt his responses were overly scripted and lacked empathy. In the case of Rylee McCollum’s widow, Jiennah, who was pregnant at the time, the interaction was described as particularly tense.
The Kabul bombing and its aftermath have cast a long shadow over Biden’s presidency, with critics from both political parties pointing to failures in planning and execution. The decision to withdraw U.S. forces so abruptly, leaving behind billions of dollars in military equipment and endangering both U.S. troops and Afghan allies, has been called one of the worst foreign policy blunders in recent history.
The accusations of Biden napping before the dignified transfer ceremony add another layer to the controversy. For families already devastated by loss, this perceived slight has deepened their anger and resentment.
Rylee McCollum’s sister Roice has emerged as one of the most vocal critics. She has described the administration’s handling of the withdrawal as a betrayal of the service members who lost their lives.
“They deserved better,” she said. “Our families deserved better.”
Others, like Darin Hoover, echoed this sentiment, questioning Biden’s commitment to honoring the sacrifices made by these young men and women.
The Kabul bombing and its aftermath continue to haunt the Biden administration, shaping perceptions of his leadership and decision-making abilities. For the families of the fallen, the pain of losing their loved ones is compounded by what they perceive as a lack of respect and accountability from the president.
As these stories emerge, they serve as a somber reminder of the human cost of policy decisions and the importance of leadership in moments of crisis. While Biden has defended his decision to withdraw from Afghanistan, the enduring grief and anger of these families ensure that the events of August 26, 2021, will not soon be forgotten.
For the loved ones of those who died that day, the wounds remain raw, and the questions remain unanswered. What could have been done differently? And why did it feel, to so many, like the nation’s highest leader failed them when they needed him most?
