At a forum organized by Rep. Darrell Issa, the father of a fallen Marine called for the resignation of top officials, including President Biden, in the wake of the suicide bombing at the Kabul airport in August 2021. Gold Star families shared tearful testimony, seeking accountability and answers about the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. Former President Trump praised the event and criticized the Biden administration. The families expressed frustration with the lack of investigation into their loved ones' deaths and called for the truth to be revealed.
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., has criticized the Afghanistan dissent cable, which Secretary of State Antony Blinken allowed congressional access to, as "embarrassing" and debunking the Biden administration's narrative that it was caught off guard by the country's swift collapse in 2021. The document, signed by 23 staffers and diplomats, warned about the possibility of a rapid Taliban advance as the U.S. left the country, which President Joe Biden and other top officials downplayed at the time. Issa said his next course of action is trying to get the document declassified so that the families of the 13 U.S. service members who were killed during the chaotic withdrawal can get to the bottom of what happened.
