EXCLUSIVE: President Trump hosting Gold Star families in the Oval Office ahead of Abbey Gate anniversary
President Donald Trump is hosting Gold Star families for a private Oval Office meeting just before the four year anniversary of the suicide attack in Afghanistan that killed their loved ones, the Washington Reporter can exclusively report.
On August 26th, 2021, a suicide terrorist killed 13 American servicemembers at Hamid Karzai International Airport’s (HKIA) Abbey Gate.
Now, almost four years to the date after the attack, Trump is hosting the Gold Star families in the White House.
Several of the Gold Star families, who formed a group called the Abbey Gate Coalition, plan to present Trump with a letter thanking him for his leadership.
“The Abbey Gate Coalition would like to personally thank you for honoring our children today, just one day shy of the four year anniversary of their deaths,” the group wrote in the latest draft of the letter, obtained by the Reporter. “We are so grateful for all you have done to keep their names in the minds of Americans, throughout your campaign and after you were inaugurated.”
“It was an honor of a lifetime to be on the campaign trail with you and to have our children recognized by you on the world stage,” they continued. “It was an honor to be invited to the Republican National Convention, and to speak on behalf of our kids, and to tell the world how we felt about you, and be able to call you our president.”
Last year, then-candidate Trump visited Arlington National Cemetery with several of the Gold Star families. It was the most prominent way a Commander-in-Chief had honored the servicemembers’ sacrifices.
Former President Joe Biden, meanwhile, has never publicly said the names of the 13 servicemembers who were killed out loud — a slight the families have never forgotten.
“You truly are making America great again, and will continue to do so throughout the rest of your term,” the continued in their letter. “You have proved time and time again how much our kids' ultimate sacrifice means to this country by honoring them in so many ways, and spending so much time with us, and saying their names out loud.”
“Unlike the previous administration, and to be honest, we don’t think they even know their names. We know you can tell each individual's story to any one that asks. You have been a pillar of strength to our mission, and ask that you continue to do so moving forward in looking for the answers that we so desire. Having you as our children’s advocate means more to us than we can ever truly express.”
Trump’s history with this particular group of Gold Star families is extensive. The President has repeatedly met with them, and several members of the Abbey Gate Coalition received a prominent speaking slot at the 2024 Republican National Convention (RNC).
Just a few months into Trump’s second term, he also gave the Gold Star families advanced notice that his administration had arrested Mohammad Sharifullah, the mastermind of the suicide attack that killed their loved ones.
The families are also hopeful that Trump will work with them to reform several policies they’ve been personally impacted by, including a long overdue review of the military death benefit, which has been untouched for two decades. The current death benefit is set at $450,000 with a death gratuity of $100,000.
“We feel a review of these amounts is needed to evaluate inflation since the last adjustment was in 2005, and would ideally be commensurate with potential life long earnings of the deceased veteran,” they wrote.
The families also want the GI Bill expanded to cover siblings of America’s fallen, in part because so many of the 13 who died were too young to have families of their own.
Another request is access to military bases for Gold Star families.
“From what we have learned Gold Star Families are entitled to access to military bases,” they wrote. “From experience, few branches of the military recognize this benefit and families do not have an access card to freely visit military bases beyond what most Americans are allowed. Without a recognized pass or designated access, benefit PX is not allowed, a benefit which can help many surviving families.”
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