Paula Knauss Selph, a mother mourning the loss of her son, Staff Sgt. Ryan Christian Knauss, who tragically perished in Kabul’s international airport attack on August 26, 2021, shared her heart-wrenching encounter with President Joe Biden on Memorial Day 2022.
Following an invitation to the Oval Office to meet President Biden, Selph recounted the painful memory of saying her final goodbye to her son as she leaned over his coffin in tears. Her recollection vividly portrays the unimaginable grief a mother experiences upon losing her child in the Afghan theater.
According to reports from the Daily Mail, Selph described her meeting with Biden, during which he empathetically said, “I can understand if you’re angry.”
Standing face-to-face with the President, Selph recounted, “I began to weep [and told him], ‘It should have never happened this way.'”
In response, President Biden stood stoically, offering nothing more than, “Well, would you like to get a photo with me?”
Stunned and overwhelmed by emotions, Selph expressed her disappointment, saying, “I didn’t want to get a photo with him…I wanted Biden to hear me. He didn’t want to hear me.”
According to The Daily Wire, Selph conveyed to Biden that the only photo she would take with him was if he stood beside her at her son’s resting place at Arlington National Cemetery.
Biden’s response reportedly was, “I can’t do that because Secret Service won’t let me do that.”
A frustrated Selph criticized, “It’s a moral disgrace for a president not to have mercy on the people that he serves. It is a moral disgrace.” She expressed her belief that Biden saw the somber occasion as a mere “photo op” rather than an opportunity to provide solace to those in mourning.
Reflecting on her son’s life, Selph shared, “Ryan was certain he wanted to serve in the armed forces…He was disciplined and intelligent…He was protecting and offering the chance for countless individuals to realize the American dream. That legacy will long outlive all of us.”
Selph’s sentiments of frustration have been echoed by other bereaved families. Members of Congress and Selph’s Respect and Remember Foundation are encouraging those who have experienced loss to share their stories.
Tonight on Real America! Gold Star Mother Paula Knauss-Selph weighs in on the importance of her and other Gold Star families telling their stories, so the failures of the Biden Administration in handling the deaths of 13 American soldiers during the Afghanistan exit. Catch the… pic.twitter.com/sEeaiiL1O2
— One America News (@OANN) August 10, 2023
The discontentment with the abrupt exit of the United States from Afghanistan grew even stronger when the President displayed a sense of apathy as the remains of American soldiers were returned home, captured on camera glancing at his watch.
When you are the worst president in America’s history… you look at your watch when the American soldier’s bodies are being carried out of the Jet in flag drapped caskets. #Biden #Dictator #Communist #Marxist #Thug pic.twitter.com/27m11azwaH
— Stephen DeNuccio (@SteveJazz) August 18, 2023
