Donald Trump has claimed it was a “disgrace” for Joe Biden to seemingly glance at his watch while paying respects to the 13 US service members who were killed in Afghanistan.
The one-term president has joined the right-wing criticism of his successor, who glanced at his wrist during the ceremony in Dover, Delaware, as the remains of the dead arrived back in the US.
“When he did that yesterday, it was, it was a disgrace. I think the best thing he could do is apologise to the American people and apologise to the world,” Mr Trump said during an interview on Fox Business’s Varney & Co.
And Mr Trump, who was repeatedly criticised over his often controversial interactions with the military, added: “When he kept looking at his watch yesterday at Dover with the parents and spouses of people that were killed, the Marines and the Navy sailor that was killed, and he’s looking at his watch, like, ‘Get me the hell out of here. I want to go home, get me out. I want to go home.’
“I mean how many times did he look at his watch?”
Brett Baier of Fox News has pointed out that Mr Biden wears his late son Beau’s rosary on his left wrist above his watch, and supporters have suggested that is what the president was looking at.
Baier addressed the issue when he was attacked on social media for bringing it up.
“As I said – it wasn’t cover – it was what several Biden supporters pointed out to me — but I also said clearly the image –whether it was looking at Beau’s rosary or the watch – was extremely painful & disrespectful to the families there in that moment. Sorry you missed that – Thanks,” he tweeted.
Mr Trump joined other conservative politicians in attacking Mr Biden in the wake of the chaotic evacuation of Afghanistan, which saw a bomb attack by Isis-K kill 13 US service personnel – along with dozens of Afghans – as they handled security Kabul’s international airport.
“Many of us remember Pres Bush 41 checking his watch during a debate and how awful it looked (even though we all felt same way about that debate.) But this is shocking and will be remembered,” tweeted former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.
And the former White House doctor, Representative Ronny Jackson, added: “Apparently our Commander-in-Chief has better things to do than honor the 13 service members who died on his watch?
“I’m DISGUSTED! God bless these heroes and their loved ones. They deserved better.”
