Jen Psaki slammed by Gold Star families of 13 service members killed in Afghanistan for 'dishonest' claim about Biden that shows the 'contempt' they've shown their slain children

Family members of American troops who were killed during the Kabul suicide bombing attack in Afghanistan criticized former White House press secretary Jen Psaki after she made false claims about President Joe Biden in her new book.

Psaki wrote in her new book Say More Lessons from Work, the White House, and the World that reports that President Biden looked at his watch during the dignified transfer ceremony for the slain troops in Dover Air Force base in Delaware were ‘misinformation.’

Several members of the families of the troops killed in Afghanistan expressed their frustration with Psaki for denying the incident, which many of them personally witnessed.

Biden was caught on camera twice looking at his watch during the ceremony, a claim that was repeatedly fact-checked and found to be true.

’Jen Psaki’s claim in her book that this was "misinformation" is not only dishonest but reinforces the contempt which Biden Administration officials have shown us in the aftermath of Abbey Gate terrorist attack that took the lives of our children, they said in an exclusive statement to DailyMail.com. 

Jen Psaki speaks about her book 'Say More: Lessons from Work, the White House, and the World'

 ‘We watched in horror as President Biden looked at his wristwatch on multiple occasions during the dignified transfer of our children in Dover,’ they said.

The group called on Psaki’s book publisher and her employer MSNBC to address the mistake.

‘We are calling on Simon & Schuster and MSNBC to hold Ms. Psaki accountable for publishing this dishonest attack on Gold Star families,’ they concluded.

Psaki conceded to Axios on Monday that she would update the digital copy of her book and and correct the mistake in future printings.

Darin Hoover, the father of Marine Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, and Mark Schmitz said he witnessed Biden looking at his watch after every soldier was transferred.

‘They would release the salute and he looked down at his watch on every last one,’ Hoover said during a 2021 interview on Fox News. ‘All 13, he looked down at his watch.’

The statement to DailyMail.com was signed by Mark Schmitz and Jaclyn Schmitz, the father and stepmother of Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz, Coral Briseno, the mother of Cpl. Humberto Sanchez, Darin Hoover and Kelly Barnett, the father and mother of Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, Cheryl Jules and Christy Shamblin, the aunt and mother-in-law to Sgt. Nicole Gee, Steve Nikoui, the father of Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, Herman and Alicia Lopez, the father and mother of Cpl. Hunter Lopez, and Jim McCollum, the father of Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum. 

The 13 US service members killed in the 2021 Kabul bomb blast.  L-R 1 - Cpl. Daegan W. Page 2 - Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo 3 - Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover 4 - Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza 5 - Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum 6 - Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui 7 - Cpl. Hunter Lopez 8 - Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz 9 - Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss 10 - Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez 11 - Navy Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak 12 - Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola 13 - Sgt. Nicole L. Gee

'Say More. Lessons from Work, the White House, and the World' by Jen Psaki released on May 7, 2024

Jen Psaki speaks onstage during Jen Psaki in Conversation with Lawrence O'Donnell -

Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) condemned Psaki for trying to malign the reputations of military families.

‘Calling Gold Star families liars - even when there’s photographic proof - is a pathetic partisan attempt to defend your boss and a bad look,’ he wrote on social media.