Family of fallen Marine speaks candidly about their son, Afghanistan and 2024 politics

Read the Full Transcript

• Amna Nawaz:

  Today, a solemn moment at the U.S. Capitol as 13 fallen American military service personnel were posthumously awarded Congress' highest honor, the Congressional Gold Medal.

  Lisa Desjardins is back now with that — Lisa.

• Lisa Desjardins:

  Amna, those service members were killed by a suicide bomb at the Kabul Airport during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021.

  Grieving families today received medals on their behalf, and top leaders from both parties praised those who were lost.

• Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA):

  Our nation owes a profound debt of gratitude to these service members and those here today who were with them in Kabul.

  We also owe them something deeper, and that is an apology.

• Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY):

  These 13 Americans were something more. Heroes, guardians, saviors. They were fighting for a cause far bigger than themselves.

• Lisa Desjardins:

  The Afghan withdrawal has become part of the election debate over the Biden administration's decisions over the withdrawal and also former President Trump's visit to the graves where some of those killed are buried.

  I sat down today with Kelly Barnett and Darin Hoover, parents of staff Sergeant Taylor Hoover, who was killed that day. They were the family who invited Trump to Arlington National Cemetery. I spoke with them about that, but first I asked them to describe their son.

  Kelly Barnett, Mother of Fallen U.S. Soldier: I say this all the time. A kid was born with fire and grit in his veins, the most loving person you would ever met, but he was always our protector. We put that on his headstone and everything, our protector.

  He was always the one that was always looking out for his mama and his sisters. I love that kid, and I miss him terribly.

• Lisa Desjardins:

  What was it like sitting there in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol at this ceremony that I think you have been fighting for, really, in a way, this kind of recognition for a few years?

• Kelly Barnett:

  When Speaker Johnson read their names, I just wanted to fall out of my seat, because that's what we wanted. Just to hear it in the Capitol in that beautiful space, and — it took my breath away. It did.

• Rep. Mike Johnson:

  Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Taylor Hoover.

  Darin Hoover, Father of Fallen U.S. Soldier: Just for them to acknowledge…

• Kelly Barnett:

  Yes.

• Darin Hoover:

  … finally, and say their names, which is one of the big things that we have been really pushing for, even from the administration. Just say their names.

  Don't sweep them under the rug. Don't do — don't put them behind you, because they have set their legacy, and that needs to be remembered.

• Lisa Desjardins:

  As you know, yesterday, the House Republicans came out with their report on the Afghan withdrawal. They found numerous problems with the Biden administration's actions. The Biden administration can tell a different story.

  But I want to ask, who specifically do you blame for the mistakes made at Abbey Gate and what happened there?

• Darin Hoover:

  For me, it's the — it's General McKenzie. It's General Milley. It's Secretary Blinken, Secretary Austin. And then, of course, it goes right up to the top.

  I have some real issues with the way things were handled.

• Kelly Barnett:

  I think Biden and Harris wanted that to be their legacy, that they got them out of Afghanistan. I think it was what they brought to the table to the generals is, you're going to do it. This is the day, no matter what you have got to do. This is it.

  I believe it was completely mishandled. There was no plan. They had no plan. It makes no sense to me the way that they did things, but it's pretty obvious they had no plan.

• Lisa Desjardins:

  I know initially you all didn't really want — I know you did not to speak to President Biden. But that changed and you did reach out?

• Kelly Barnett:

  We just didn't want to do it at that time. I do now.

  I would rather speak with Vice President Harris.

• Lisa Desjardins:

  What would you say to her?

• Kelly Barnett:

  Woman to woman, I want to know what you were thinking. I want to know why my child was considered collateral damage. I want to know what was said in that room that made you think that the generals didn't know best. They have already told us they told them it was not a good decision. Why did you go ahead? I want to know.

• Lisa Desjardins:

  I know, for the anniversary, you all did invite former President Trump to join you at Arlington National Cemetery. There's dispute over what happened there.

  We do know that the Trump campaign has used some photos from that. But how do you know that you're not being used politically by the Trump campaign? Are you concerned about that?

• Kelly Barnett:

  I reached out to the campaign myself. It was just a few weeks before. So this was not anything planned in advance. It was me that reached out to him.

  And then it was me that asked for photos to be taken down at the grave site.

• Lisa Desjardins:

  I think the question still remains that the Trump campaign has used that. And I think, for some military families, they worry about that line, that your grief is being used in a very tense political moment.

• Kelly Barnett:

  And they did ask if they could use it. And because I am such a strong supporter of his, I said, heck yes.

• Lisa Desjardins:

  Former President Trump has criticized some people that others believe are heroes, Senator John McCain, obviously, who made his own sacrifices for this country, the father of a Gold Star — a Gold Star father, in 2016.

  How do you reckon with that?

• DarinHoover:

  In all honesty, I don't think that he disparaged any of them, and because the things that he said get twisted and turned so much that who knows exactly what he meant.

• Lisa Desjardins:

  Well, he said John McCain being captured meant he was not a hero.

• Kelly Barnett:

  I don't know his relationship with McCain, so I don't want to speak to what he meant on that.

• Lisa Desjardins:

  I want to close by asking you, did you think about what Taylor would have thought about today? Did you think about him in that room? What would he think about this?

• Kelly Barnett:

  I think he would have enjoyed it. I think he would. I think today he's proud.

• Darin Hoover:

  He should be, as all of them should be.

• Lisa Desjardins:

  Darin and Kelly, thank you so much for talking with us.

• Kelly Barnett:

  Thank you.

• Darin Hoover:

  Thank you.

• Lisa Desjardins:

  As to the Hoover family's accusations about the Biden administration's role in Afghanistan, the White House has said that they were up against problems they couldn't solve because of the Trump administration's refusal to add more troops and limitations of troops, as Nick reported last night.

  Now, I did ask the White House about the Hoover family's request to meet with President Biden and with Vice President Harris. They sent me not a long time ago this statement where they just said: "We owe them and their families a sacred debt that we will never be able to fully repay. The president honors these families who have given more to their nation than anyone could and holds them in the highest regard."

  They did not, though, Amna and Geoff, respond to whether they would try to meet with these families. That still is something that families say they haven't gotten an answer on.