Joe Biden called a 'narcissist' as Rylee McCollum's family walks out on him
Three days after explosions wreaked havoc outside Afghanistan’s Hamid Karzai International Airport, on Sunday, August 29, President Joe Biden flew to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to receive the flag-draped remains of the 13 US service members killed in the attack. But it did not go as per plan as the family of those who lost their family members had no patience to deal with the president.
Before he received the heroes, Biden decided to meet their families. But when most members of a Gold Star family walked out on him before they could even exchange a word, it was evident that it was not going to be a fruitful meeting.
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This was buried in a report in The Washington Post with the headline 'Biden meets with families of service members killed in Kabul as US races to exit Afghanistan'. Given the headline, a reader would have never guessed the embarrassment that Biden had to face. Additionally, the report wrote about the urgency of the then-quickly approaching August 31 withdrawal deadline and labeled the president's decision to pull out from Afghanistan a “tragedy”, rounded off with “tumult and growing anger with his stewardship.”
Families of the fallen soldiers were outraged during this meeting. And even walked out on the president. Jiennah McCollum, the expectant wife of 20-year-old Marine Lance Cpl Rylee McCollum, who died in the suicide bombing in Kabul, awaited the “dignified transfer of remains” with two of her sisters-in-law and her father-in-law, Rylee’s sister Roice told the Post.
According to the publication, Jiennah is expected to deliver her child next month. She was the only one in the family who met the president. The rest of them left the room when it was time to meet Biden because “they did not want to speak with the man they held responsible for McCollum’s death.”
When talking to her, Biden spoke of his son Beau, recapturing his military service and his succumbing to cancer, Roice said. The Post reported that the McCollums found Biden’s words “scripted and shallow, a conversation that lasted only a couple of minutes in ‘total disregard to the loss of our Marine,'” in Roice’s words. Roice told the Post that Jiennah left the room disappointed after speaking with Biden.
“You can’t f**k up as bad as he did and say you’re sorry,” Roice told the Post. “This did not need to happen, and every life is on his hands.” On social media as well, many thought Biden should have thought before he spoke. "Of course it went poorly they are grieving and probably still in shock," one wrote. Another wrote harshly, "There is a difference between empathy and narcissism. He made it about himself not her or her husband. That's narcissism. And it's pathetic."
"I think this is a tough situation for any President. Trying to relate via Beau did not come off well in the address so I can see how it wouldn’t here. They’re justly upset. I’d prefer it be confidential," one tweeted.
Of course it went poorly they are grieving and probably still in shock.
— Darrell (@BlackMadness317) August 30, 2021
There is a difference between empathy and narcissism. He made it about himself not her or her husband. That's narcissism. And it's pathetic
— Cari K 🇺🇲 (@ClearBlueSkyys) August 30, 2021
I think this is a tough situation for any President. Trying to relate via Beau did not come off well in the address so I can see how it wouldn’t here. They’re justly upset. I’d prefer it be confidential.
— George Brown (@georgebrownmem) August 30, 2021