Biden Slammed for Checking Watch during Ceremony for Troops Killed in Kabul Blast
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – US President Joe Biden is under fire after appearing to look at his watch just seconds after a salute honoring the return of the 13 US troops killed in Thursday's Daesh suicide bombing in Kabul.
Conservatives and veterans attacked Biden for appearing to look at his watch during a ceremony for the 13 US servicemembers killed in an Daesh (ISIS or ISIL) suicide bombing near the Kabul airport in Afghanistan last week, FoxNews reported.
Biden met with the families of the troops killed in the attack, and he also attended the "dignified transfer" of the fallen troops, a military ritual of receiving the remains of those killed in foreign combat, while at Dover Air Force Base.
During the event, Biden appeared to look down at his watch, sparking criticism from conservatives.
"It's true. Joe Biden checked his watch during the dignified transfer of the servicemembers killing in Afghanistan at the airport. You can see him jerk his left hand to pull the watch out from under his sleeve, then look down at it," Nicholas Fondacaro, a news analyst for the Media Research Center, tweeted with a video.
"Many of us remember Pres Bush 41 checking his watch during a debate and how awful it looked (even though we all felt same way about that debate.) But this is shocking and will be remembered," former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a Republican, tweeted with the video.
"Looks like he was being inconvenienced by having to show some respect for these American Heros (sic)," Samuel Williams, a US army veteran who fought in Operation Desert Storm, wrote on Twitter.
"There is nothing more important than paying your respects to America's fallen war heroes, Mr. President," Nile Gardner, a former aide to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and director of The Heritage Foundation's Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, wrote on Twitter.