‘I Hope You Burn in Hell!’ Families of Slain Servicemembers Recall Raw Response to Joe Biden at Dover Ceremony

President Joe Biden’s appearance at the dignified transfer of remains of the 13 soldiers slain in Afghanistan on Sunday was sharply criticized, according to accounts of the ceremony by family members.

One woman screamed at Biden across the airport tarmac, “I hope you burn in hell! That was my brother,” according to Mark Schmitz, the father of 20-year-old Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz, who was killed in the suicide bombing attacks outside the Kabul Airport, speaking to the Washington Post.

Schmitz said he attended the ceremony with his ex-wife, and he glared as he said the president spent more time looking at his ex-wife while he spoke about his son Beau Biden, who died from cancer after leaving the military.

“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 to the Post. “‘And take some time to learn their stories.’”

Biden bristled at the comment from Schmitz. He said, “I do know their stories.”

Schmitz is one of many family members who spoke out about their visit with Biden at the Dover Air Force base.

“It’s got to be difficult. I’m not saying it was easy at all. But you can’t run up and hug someone as if you had nothing to do with it. It’s not going to work that way when you’re commander-in-chief,” he told the Post. – READ MORE