Gold Star Father Rips Joe Biden After Dover Meeting: “He talked a bit more about his own son than he did my son, and that didn’t sit well with me”
Gold Star father Mark Schmitz, who lost his son Marine Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz in the terror attack at the airport in Kabul last week, ripped President Joe Biden during an interview on Monday for how Joe handled himself when he met the families of the fallen at Dover.
“First, I just wanted to say that Jared has exemplified so much that any man could ever strive for and made me so proud to watch him undertake this endeavor of going into the Marine Corp,” Schmitz said. “He completed his boot camp. He went to Jordan, was excited about that. And was constantly looking to do more and was given that opportunity.”
“Well, initially, I wasn’t going to meet with him, but then I felt I owed it to my son to at least have some words with him about how I felt and it didn’t go well,” Schmitz said.
“He talked a bit more about his own son than he did my son in that didn’t sit well with me.”
The Washington Post reported earlier:
Schmitz had told a military officer the night before that he wasn’t much interested in speaking to a president he did not vote for, one whose execution of the Afghan pullout he disdains — and one he now blames for the death of his 20-year-old son Jared.
But overnight, sleeping in a nondescript hotel nearby, Schmitz changed his mind. So on that dreary morning he and his ex-wife were approached by Biden after he’d talked to all the other families.
But by his own account, Schmitz glared hard at the president, so Biden spent more time looking at his ex-wife, repeatedly invoking his own son, Beau, who died six years ago.
Schmitz did not want to hear about Beau, he wanted to talk about Jared. Eventually, the parents took out a photo to show to Biden.
“I said, ‘Don’t you ever forget that name. Don’t you ever forget that face. Don’t you ever forget the names of the other 12,’ ” Schmitz said. “ ‘And take some time to learn their stories.’ ”
Biden did not seem to like that, Schmitz recalled, and he bristled, offering a blunt response: “I do know their stories.”
Gold Star father Mark Schmitz, whose son Marine Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz was killed in Kabul last week, on meeting Democrat President Joe Biden: "It didn't go well. He talked a bit more about his own son than he did my son and that didn't sit well with me.” pic.twitter.com/dvstBNmHEU
— Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) August 31, 2021
Mark Schmitz, father of fallen Marine Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz to Fox on his meeting with POTUS over the weekend: “It didn’t go well. He talked a bit more about his own son than he did my son and that didn’t sit well with me.”
— Pat Ward (@WardDPatrick) August 31, 2021
Listen to Mark Schmitz talk about his son! 😭🙏🏻💔🇺🇸 https://t.co/wxdCXw7iEH pic.twitter.com/eBpreMvTcS
— Mike Saccone (@mikesacconetv) August 27, 2021