Former President Donald Trump visited Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on August 26, 2024, to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony honoring the 13 U.S. service members killed during the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan. The visit marked the third anniversary of the suicide bombing at Abbey Gate outside Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport, an attack that claimed the lives of 170 Afghans and 13 American troops.
### The Commemoration at Dover Air Force Base
Donald Trump visited the site at the invitation of some of the families of the fallen service members, according to campaign officials. The former president participated in a private wreath-laying ceremony to pay respects to the soldiers who died on August 26, 2021.
The 13 service members killed in the attack were:
* Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover
* Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo
* Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole L. Gee
* Marine Corps Cpl. Hunter Lopez
* Marine Corps Cpl. Daegan W. Page
* Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez
* Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza
* Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz
* Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum
* Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola
* Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui
* Navy Hospitalman Maxton W. Soviak
* Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss
### Context of the 2021 Afghanistan Withdrawal
The August 26, 2021, bombing occurred during the final days of the U.S. military evacuation from Afghanistan. The Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K) claimed responsibility for the blast. The event remains a central point of political debate regarding the execution of the U.S. withdrawal, which concluded on August 30, 2021, ending the 20-year war in Afghanistan.
A report released by the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee in 2024 criticized the planning of the withdrawal, citing systemic failures by the Biden administration. Conversely, the White House has previously defended the decision to end the war, noting that President Joe Biden inherited a withdrawal timeline established by the Trump administration through the 2020 Doha Agreement.
### Political Significance of the Visit
The visit to Dover served as a focal point for the 2024 presidential campaign, highlighting the contrast between the candidates’ records on foreign policy and military engagement. While the Biden administration focused on the transition to a post-war footing, Trump and his supporters have consistently utilized the anniversary to emphasize what they describe as a “catastrophic” withdrawal.
According to official campaign statements, Trump spent time meeting with family members of the fallen, many of whom have been vocal critics of the current administration’s handling of the evacuation. The event underscores the enduring political weight of the Afghanistan withdrawal in the current election cycle.
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