Gaza hostage crisis response shows Biden, Blinken haven't learned anything from Afghanistan: Gold Star dad

The Gold Star father of a Marine who was killed in the U.S. withdrawal from Kabul, Afghanistan, called out Secretary of State Antony Blinken and President Biden for how they are handling a situation in Gaza that could lead to a similar mass evacuation of Americans.

On "The Ingraham Angle," host Laura Ingraham reported on murmurs that evacuations of thousands of Americans from Middle Eastern countries could commence if the situation in the Holy Land worsens. Hamas Palestinian militants have an unclear number of Americans held hostage versus potentially deceased.

Mark Schmitz, father of LCpl. Jared Schmitz, told FOX News on Wednesday that he fears the worst, given who is in charge at the White House.

"I have no faith and I don't think they've learned a single lesson from Afghanistan," he said. "I mean, we still have American citizens in Afghanistan that we haven't gotten out."

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"I just wonder if Blinken is now climbing in the perch of [NSC spokesman John] Kirby where he saw no chaos," Schmitz said. "You know, I think these guys are just tone-deaf."

Following the release of an April after-action report, Kirby said that "for all this talk of chaos, I just didn't see it — not from my perch."

That response led FOX News White House correspondent Peter Doocy to inquire who might be fired over the botched withdrawal at the time.

On "The Ingraham Angle," Schmitz said Blinken and the State Department shouldn't be in a lead position in cases like the Americans potentially hostage or dead in Gaza.

BIDEN ‘DESERVES SHAME’ FOR CHECKING WATCH AT DOVER AFB: REP. MAST

"They need to figure out what the hell they're doing, because they seem to screw up everything," he said.

Schmitz said it is clear no one in the Biden administration has learned anything from their ordeal in Kabul.

He said he and other families of victims have called for resignations of top officials without avail, and that Blinken's latest responses to questions about 10 unaccounted-for Americans in Gaza is not endearing him to trust the diplomat.

"I fear for those families that are concerned for their loved ones still over there," Schmitz said. "I know our military at the drop of a hat would do what they've got to do and what they love to do best, but the last thing I want to see is another Gold Star Family out of all this."

Schmitz posited that if it hadn't been for Biden's handling of Afghanistan and the like, Russia's invasion of Ukraine might not have happened.

He said the Iranian regime is clearly unfazed by Biden's warnings, as the Raisi administration is accused of helping fund the Hamas attacks.

Schmitz and the other Gold Star parents of fallen servicemembers from the Kabul withdrawal previously hammered Biden following the reception of their kins' remains at Dover Air Force Base, Del.

Biden was photographed checking his watch multiple times as the caskets were unloaded.

"It happened on every single one of them. They would release the salute, and he would look down at his watch on every last one, all 13, he looked down at his watch," Gold Star father Darin Hoover, Sr. told FOX News at the time.

Schmitz said he whispered to his son's mother at the time, "I swear to God if he checks his watch one more time… "

"That was probably only four times in: I couldn't look at [Biden] anymore after that."

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Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital. 

He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant. 

Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..