Scoop: Kamala Harris invited to Congressional Gold Medal ceremony, “but I’m not optimistic she’ll show”

Vice President Kamala Harris has been invited to meet with all of the Gold Star families whose loved ones were killed during President Joe Biden’s disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal, something she has not yet done before. The families will be in the Capitol to receive the Congressional Gold Medal from Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) on Tuesday morning.

Rep. Darrell Issa (R., Calif.) confirmed exclusively to the Washington Reporter that he invited Harris to the ceremony as his guest. “I’ve mapped it out: Vice President Harris can zip down from Philadelphia and make it back in time for Tuesday’s debate with no problem,” Issa said. “I welcome her to join us as my special guest, but I’m not optimistic she’ll show.”

The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian award that Congress can bestow, and the event comes after Harris lambasted Trump for attending a separate ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery honoring the 13 slain servicemembers.

“Harris has spent days preparing for her faceoff with Trump; these families can educate her all she needs to know about her administration’s failures in Afghanistan,” Issa said. 

Harris previously boasted that she was the last person in the room with Biden when they made the decision to withdraw from Afghanistan, which prompted a Taliban takeover of the country, where hundreds of Americans were left stranded.