Gold Star mom 'disgusted, but not shocked' by Biden claim no troops died under his watch: 'He is gone'

Gold Star mother Kelly Barnett, whose son, Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover, was among the 13 U.S. service members killed during the botched 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, said she was "disgusted" but "not shocked" by President Biden's stunning denial during last week's presidential debate.

Biden falsely claimed on stage that he is the "only president this century, this decade, that doesn't have any troops dying anywhere in the world," ignoring the 13 fallen service members who were killed during his administration’s chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal in August 2021.

GOLD STAR FAMILY SPEAKS OUT AFTER BIDEN FALSELY CLAIMS NO TROOPS HAVE DIED ON HIS WATCH: ‘SHAME ON YOU’

Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover was killed in action in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021. He is a Purple Heart recipient. (Darin Hoover)

In an appearance on "America Reports" Monday, Barnett said that while she and other Gold Star families are deeply hurt by the president's omission, she believes Biden was "set up" and instructed to make the offensive remark.

"I was not shocked. I was angry," she told host Sandra Smith. "I believe in my soul [that] President Biden is gone. He can’t remember what he had for breakfast. I do believe he was told to say that. They want him out. I believe it was a set-up, and...however, far gone [he is] and even if I feel sorry for him, it’s still disgusting."

Barnett's son, Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover, was engaged to be married when he was killed at age 31 during his third tour in Afghanistan.

Since her son's death, President Biden has not contacted the family, other than a formal letter sent from the White House several months after his passing, Barnett said.

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"We haven’t heard a word. Seven of the families, we’ve started a coalition, and we have begged. We have sent letters and emails, please talk to us. We want to talk to you. It has been refused and no word whatsoever," she told Smith.

President Biden is seen at last week's presidential debate where he insisted that he 'he is the only president this century, this decade, that doesn't have any troops dying anywhere in the world.' (Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Barnett said she wasn't shocked by Biden's false debate claim because it is in line with "how we’ve been treated this whole time."

The Gold Star mom revealed that former President Trump did contact her family immediately after her son's death and invited them to speak with him during a face-to-face meeting at Mar-a-Lago, where she recalled spending "four wonderful hours" honoring her late son alongside the former president. 

"He cares about my son, he cares about our military," she said.

Still, Barnett said she hopes President Biden remains in the presidential race so he is forced to answer for his decisions.

"He needs to stay in. I don’t think they will let him in some way, shape, or form, but he needs to stay in, and he needs to answer. The whole Biden administration needs to answer for what they’ve done," she said. "And I just hope that they continue and let him stay in and let Trump slide right through."

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In this image from video provided by Omar Haidari and taken on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021 which shows a baby being lifted across a wall at Kabul Airport in Afghanistan by US soldiers. The infant is being pushed up to the soldiers by people in the crowd gathered outside the airport, amid the chaos of those fleeing the Taliban takeover of the country. (Omar Haidari via AP)

"The whole Biden administration knows what they did wrong and what they continue to do to our families. Again, disgusting," she later added.

While she did not formally meet with the president, Barnett said her daughter once traded words with Biden during the dignified transfer ceremony for Hoover and other U.S. service members killed in Afghanistan, after she saw him repeatedly checking his watch during the solemn event.

"I witnessed him check his watch three times. I finally told my daughter because she was getting so upset, ‘Don’t look at him anymore. Stop looking at him,'" Barnett recalled. "She was getting more and more frustrated. And so finally the last service member came out, and they drove away and Biden was standing out there, and she did scream at him."

"She couldn’t hold it in anymore. She meant every word that she said to him but it goes to show you the frustration. There are no words to explain how much disrespect we have gotten, how disrespected we feel. And I think this was the only thing that she could do to make herself feel better."

Fox News' Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.

Yael Halon is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..