The latest in the 2024 presidential race | CNN Politics

In videos posted by Donald Trump on Saturday, parents of US service members who were killed during the Abbey Gate bombing praised the former president and condemned Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden.

The videos posted to Truth Social come as the Trump campaign grapples with controversy over his visit this week to Arlington National Cemetery to honor the 13 US service members who were killed in the Kabul airport bombing in 2021. Trump was rebuked by the Army over his campaign’s use of video and images from the visit, which critics say ran afoul of rules prohibiting political activity on the sacred grounds.

Earlier Saturday, Harris blasted Trump in a statement, saying he is “unable to comprehend anything other than service to himself.”

Darin Hoover, father of Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, said in another video Trump posted: “Kamala, I want you to understand — and I know it will be difficult for you because you lack empathy and basic understanding — the events that happened on August 26, 2024, with President Trump at Arlington National Cemetery were solemn and in keeping with the reverence and respect that is given to all members of our military that are buried there.” 

Coral Doolittle, mother of Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, said in a video, “Kamala Harris and President Biden didn’t even say their 13 names. They called the withdrawal in Afghanistan a success, and for us, it was just sadness and a disgrace.”

Another family’s account: In addition to the grave sites of soldiers killed in Kabul, the grave of an Army Special Forces soldier who died by suicide was also featured in at least one photo posted online from the visit. The family of Master Sgt. Andrew Marckesano has since said they did not give the campaign permission to photograph the plot.

The family said in a statement this week that, while they support the families of soldiers killed in Afghanistan in their “quest for answers and accountability,” they had spoken to the cemetery and do not believe the campaign followed the rules for its visit to the grounds.