Gold Star families of the 13 US service members who lost their lives during the tumultuous withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 expressed disappointment with President Biden's brief tribute during his address to the United Nations General Assembly. Biden defended the withdrawal as a tough but necessary decision, emphasizing that he thinks of the fallen every day. However, family members saw his remarks as insincere and driven by an attempt to salvage his legacy.

Relatives of the deceased service members criticized Biden for attributing the casualties to his misguided decisions and policies. Gold Star dad Steve Nikoui, whose son was among those killed, accused Biden of despising the fallen for tarnishing his legacy. Another Gold Star father, Darin Hoover, whose son was also a victim of the suicide bombing, accused Biden of deflecting blame and having blood on his hands for the botched withdrawal.

Despite Biden's rare acknowledgment of the fallen service members on the world stage, Gold Star families felt that it was long overdue. The lack of recognition from the Biden administration has been a point of contention for these families, who have been seeking accountability for the disastrous handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal. They have criticized both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for failing to take responsibility and for downplaying the failures that led to the tragic loss of lives.

The Gold Star families have demanded more than just words from the administration, highlighting the need for genuine accountability and acknowledgement of the mistakes that contributed to the loss of their loved ones. Congressional recognition in the form of the Congressional Gold Medal was a positive step, but the families stressed that it does not absolve the administration of its failures in the Afghanistan withdrawal. Moving forward, these families are seeking tangible actions and accountability measures to ensure that the sacrifices of their fallen heroes are not in vain.