Four years ago, America witnessed one of the darkest moments in modern military history. On that tragic day in Kabul, 13 U.S. service members were killed and dozens more wounded when a terrorist detonated a suicide bomb at Abbey Gate during the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. Another 170 Afghans also lost their lives.
Yesterday, President Trump marked the anniversary with a solemn proclamation from the Oval Office: “On one of the darkest days in our Nation’s history, 4 years ago, the gates of hell sprung open when an evil Jihadi terrorist carried out a suicide bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan — killing 13 heroes of our United States Armed Forces and shattering the hearts of Americans and our allies. As our Nation remembers this atrocious attack, we honor the memory of every brave warrior who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. We join in grief with the families who senselessly lost a loved one, and we renew our solemn pledge to our 13 fallen patriots — we will never forget you; we will never forsake you; and your memory will live on forever.”
Inside the Oval Office, Gold Star families stood alongside President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and VA Secretary Doug Collins. They shared the stories of their fallen loved ones, stories that had once been ignored. When their caskets came home in 2021, Joe Biden infamously looked at his watch rather than meeting grieving parents eye to eye. He never invited those families to the White House. He never attended last year’s memorial service at Arlington. The contrast could not be clearer.
President Trump, by contrast, made them a promise: “I will bring the man responsible for Abbey Gate to justice.” And unlike the empty words Americans grew used to from the political class, this promise was kept. Just 41 days into his second administration, ISIS planner “Jafar” was captured and flown to the United States in handcuffs. Trump’s team, including Kash Patel, Tulsi Gabbard, Pam Bondi, and John Ratcliffe, stood on the tarmac at Dulles Airport as justice finally arrived.
This moment underscores more than a successful mission. It represents a total reset of U.S. counterterrorism policy. For years, Washington elites chased the wrong threats, branding parents at school board meetings or traditional Catholics as “domestic terrorists” while ignoring real jihadis plotting against Americans. Bureaucratic careerism and bad judgment left our nation weaker, and the cost was paid in American blood.
Now, under Trump’s leadership and the America First national security team led by Marco Rubio, the United States is back to basics: real counterterrorism. In just the first months of this new term, 272 jihadis have been eliminated and 72 American hostages rescued. The president’s doctrine is straightforward: “If you threaten innocent Americans, We Will Find You & We Will Kill You.”
As the nation pauses to honor the fallen, we also acknowledge that justice has begun. Nothing can replace the lives lost at Abbey Gate, but holding terrorists accountable sends a message the world cannot ignore. America has returned to strength.
Today, we say their names and remember their sacrifice:
Staff Sergeant Darin T. Hoover, USMC; Sergeant Johanny Rosario Pichardo, USMC; Sergeant Nicole L. Gee, USMC; Corporal Hunter Lopez, USMC; Corporal Daegan W. Page, USMC; Corporal Humberto A. Sanchez, USMC; Lance Corporal David L. Espinoza, USMC; Lance Corporal Jared M. Schmitz, USMC; Lance Corporal Rylee J. McCollum, USMC; Lance Corporal Dylan R. Merola, USMC; Lance Corporal Kareem M. Nikoui, USMC; Petty Officer Third Class Maxton W. Soviak, USN; and Staff Sergeant Ryan C. Knauss, USA.
