Trump marks Abbey Gate anniversary, blames Biden for 2021 Afghanistan disaster
Synopsis
Five years after an ISIS-K bomber killed 13 US troops at Abbey Gate, President Trump turned the solemn anniversary into a pointed political reckoning — naming every fallen service member while squarely blaming the Biden administration's Bagram withdrawal decision for creating the conditions that led to the deadliest day for US forces in over a decade.
Key Takeaways
President Donald Trump proclaimed 26 August 2026 a national day of commemoration for the Abbey Gate terrorist attack .
An ISIS-K suicide bomber killed 13 US service members and wounded 45 others at Kabul airport on 26 August 2021 ; more than 160 civilians were also injured.
Trump blamed the Biden administration's withdrawal from Bagram Airfield on 2 July 2021 for enabling the Taliban advance and subsequent chaos.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the withdrawal 'a dark stain on our nation's history' and pledged answers for the American people.
Trump stated his administration had apprehended the ISIS-K operative responsible for the bombing, though no identity or case details were disclosed.
US President Donald Trump on 26 August 2026 marked the fifth anniversary of the Abbey Gate terrorist attack at Kabul airport, honouring the 13 American service members killed and laying direct blame on the Biden administration for what he called one of the worst military disasters in US history. Trump issued a formal proclamation designating 26 August 2026 as a national day of commemoration for the attack.
The Attack: What Happened at Abbey Gate
At 5:36 pm on 26 August 2021, an ISIS-K suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest in a crowd gathered at Abbey Gate outside Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. The blast killed 13 US service members and wounded 45 others. More than 160 civilians were also injured, according to the presidential proclamation.
Trump named each of the fallen in the proclamation: Staff Sergeants Ryan C. Knauss and Darin T. Hoover; Sergeants Johanny Rosario Pichardo and Nicole L. Gee; Corporals Hunter Lopez, Daegan W. Page, and Humberto A. Sanchez; Lance Corporals David L. Espinoza, Jared M. Schmitz, Rylee J. McCollum, Dylan R. Merola, and Kareem M. Nikoui; and Petty Officer Third Class Maxton W. Soviak.
Trump's Criticism of the Biden Withdrawal
'Yet within months, President Biden squandered those hard-fought gains, putting politics over strategy and rushing through a poorly executed withdrawal that would soon become one of the worst military disasters in our Nation's history,' Trump said in the proclamation.
Trump specifically cited the 2 July 2021 withdrawal of US forces from Bagram Airfield, arguing it surrendered America's largest military base in Afghanistan and stripped remaining troops of critical strategic advantages as the Taliban advanced. The Taliban subsequently seized Bagram and freed thousands of prisoners held there. Kabul fell shortly afterwards, forcing a chaotic evacuation through the commercial airport — the site of the Abbey Gate bombing.
'I will always stand by our service members, support our military families, and I will never allow the failures that led to Abbey Gate to be repeated,' Trump said.
What the Trump Administration Said
Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a separate statement calling the Biden administration's withdrawal 'a dark stain on our nation's history.' Rubio pledged that the Trump administration remained committed to honouring those killed and 'providing the American people with the answers they deserve.'
'We stand with the Gold Star families whose loved ones made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our great country,' Rubio said. 'Our prayers will forever remain with them and the 45 US service members who were injured during this terrible terrorist attack.'
Bomber Apprehended, Details Withheld
Trump also stated in the proclamation that his administration had apprehended the ISIS-K operative responsible for the bombing and brought him to face American justice. The proclamation did not identify the suspect or provide further details of the case.
This comes amid broader Republican efforts to use the Afghanistan withdrawal as a defining political liability for the Democratic Party ahead of future electoral cycles. The anniversary marks a renewed push by the Trump administration to contrast its foreign policy posture with that of its predecessor.
Point of View
Which set the withdrawal timeline in motion. The apprehension of the alleged bomber, announced without a name or case details, raises as many questions as it answers. And with no independent accounting of the withdrawal's decision chain made public, the narrative remains entirely one-sided — politically potent, but incomplete.
NationPress
27 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Abbey Gate attack?
The Abbey Gate attack occurred on 26 August 2021, when an ISIS-K suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest in a crowd outside Kabul airport's Abbey Gate during the US-led evacuation from Afghanistan. The blast killed 13 American service members and wounded 45 others, while more than 160 civilians were also injured.
Why is Trump blaming Biden for the Abbey Gate bombing?
Trump argues that the Biden administration's decision to withdraw US forces from Bagram Airfield on 2 July 2021 surrendered a critical strategic base, enabling the Taliban's rapid advance and forcing a chaotic evacuation through Kabul's commercial airport — where the bombing occurred. Trump has called it 'one of the worst military disasters in our Nation's history.'
Who were the 13 US service members killed at Abbey Gate?
The 13 killed were Staff Sergeants Ryan C. Knauss and Darin T. Hoover; Sergeants Johanny Rosario Pichardo and Nicole L. Gee; Corporals Hunter Lopez, Daegan W. Page, and Humberto A. Sanchez; Lance Corporals David L. Espinoza, Jared M. Schmitz, Rylee J. McCollum, Dylan R. Merola, and Kareem M. Nikoui; and Petty Officer Third Class Maxton W. Soviak.
Has the ISIS-K bomber been caught?
President Trump stated in his anniversary proclamation that his administration had apprehended the ISIS-K operative responsible for the Abbey Gate bombing and brought him to face American justice. However, the proclamation did not identify the suspect or provide any details about the case.
What did Secretary of State Marco Rubio say about Abbey Gate?
Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a separate statement calling the Biden administration's Afghanistan withdrawal 'a dark stain on our nation's history.' He expressed solidarity with Gold Star families and pledged that the Trump administration would work to provide the American people with answers about the events surrounding the attack.
