NBC’s “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker faced sharp criticism and NBC was forced to issue a retraction after Welker falsely claimed that Vice President Kamala Harris attended the dignified transfer of 13 U.S. service members who were killed during the 2021 Kabul airport suicide bombing. The incident occurred during the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan under the Biden administration.
The controversy arose during a heated exchange on “Meet the Press” between Welker and Senator Tom Cotton, where the topic of President Donald Trump’s appearance at Arlington National Cemetery was also discussed. Trump had been invited by Gold Star families to commemorate the third anniversary of the service members’ deaths.