On Monday, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation honoring the American service members who lost their lives in a tragic suicide bombing outside the Abbey Gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2021. This heartfelt gesture came as a tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice during two decades of American military engagement in the region.

Before signing the proclamation, Trump expressed the profound weight of the moment in the Oval Office, stating, “It’s a tough — there’s nothing tougher,” while surrounded by the families of the victims. This poignant acknowledgment aimed to provide solace to Gold Star families mourning their loved ones.

Thirteen service members and over 100 Afghans lost their lives in the chaos of the Kabul bombing. During the event, both Trump and Vice President JD Vance voiced their condolences to the grieving families and criticized the Biden administration for what they termed “incompetence.” This criticism has sparked a heated discussion about leadership accountability in the aftermath of the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

While former President Joe Biden attended the dignified transfer of the fallen soldiers at Dover Air Force Base in 2021, where he met the families, Trump’s proclamation took a sharp turn. It included pointed remarks about Biden’s actions during that solemn event, specifically his decision to check his watch.

Typically, proclamations commemorating military service adopt a respectful and non-political tone. However, in a notable deviation, this proclamation aimed direct criticism at Biden, underscoring a moment which the proclamation described as “one of the most shameful and heartbreaking” in American history, where time seemed to stand still as the fallen were honored.

Biden’s administration faced criticism for its handling of the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, a process that began during Trump’s presidency. The Trump administration had initiated the exit strategy by negotiating a deal with the Taliban in 2020, which outlined the systematic withdrawal of U.S. troops.