Fifth Anniversary of the Attack at Abbey Gate

Proclamation 11058 of August 26, 2026

Fifth Anniversary of the Attack at Abbey Gate

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

At 5:36 p.m. on August 26, 2021, a lone ISIS-K
terrorist pressed into the crowd at Abbey Gate in
Kabul, Afghanistan, and detonated a body-worn bomb. The
terrorist was one of the thousands of prisoners
released by the Taliban just 2 months earlier. As a
result, 13 American service members were killed, 45
were wounded, and more than 160 civilians were injured.

As a Nation, it is our sacred duty to honor--with the
deepest respect and reverence--the men and women in
uniform who gave their lives that day, to remember all
that was taken from their families, and to never forget
their names: Staff Sergeant Ryan C. Knauss, USA; Staff
Sergeant Darin T. Hoover, USMC; Sergeant Johanny
Rosario Pichardo, USMC; Sergeant Nicole L. Gee, USMC;
Corporal Hunter Lopez, USMC; Corporal Daegan W. Page,
USMC; Corporal Humberto A. Sanchez, USMC; Lance
Corporal David L. Espinoza, USMC; Lance Corporal Jared
M. Schmitz, USMC; Lance Corporal Rylee J. McCollum,
USMC; Lance Corporal Dylan R. Merola, USMC; Lance
Corporal Kareem M. Nikoui, USMC; and Petty Officer
Third Class Maxton W. Soviak, USN.

On the fifth anniversary of the attack at Abbey Gate,
we solemnly honor their selflessness and valor.

For 20 years, the brave warriors of the United States
Armed Forces fought across the mountains and cities of
Afghanistan to destroy terrorism and remove the Taliban
from power. Yet within months, President Biden
squandered those hard-fought gains, putting politics
over strategy and rushing through a poorly executed
withdrawal that would soon become one of the worst
military disasters in our Nation's history.

On July 2, 2021, President Biden withdrew American
forces from Bagram Airfield in the middle of the night
without even notifying the Afghan National Defense and
Security Forces. The decision surrendered our largest
military base in the country, lost billions of dollars
of military equipment, and left our remaining forces
without its strategic advantages as the Taliban rapidly
advanced. Within weeks, the Taliban seized Bagram and
freed thousands of terrorists and criminals from its
prisons. Kabul soon fell, leaving our troops to carry
out a desperate evacuation at Hamid Karzai
International Airport amid the devastating collapse the
previous administration's incompetence had invited.

As Commander in Chief, I will always put America First
and defend our sovereignty. I was proud to apprehend
the ISIS-K terrorist responsible for the atrocity and
bring him to face the swift sword of American justice.
I will always stand by our service members, support our
military families, and I will never allow the failures
that led to Abbey Gate to be repeated. On this solemn
anniversary, we renew our sacred promise to the 13
fallen service members and their families that we will
always remember their names, cherish their memory, and
never forget the price they paid for our country.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim August 26, 2026, as a
day in commemoration of the 5th anniversary of the
attack at Abbey Gate. I encourage all Americans to
remember the heroism of the brave men and women who
made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, and the
Gold Star Families who carry on their proud legacy.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-six, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and fifty-
first.