Christy Shamblin, whose daughter-in-law Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee was one of the 13 American service members killed in an ISIS-K terror attack during the chaotic August 2021 U.S. pullout from Afghanistan, is speaking out amid ongoing media scrutiny over a recent commemoration at Arlington National Cemetery. Shamblin told CBN News she and other Gold Star families have faced an onslaught of disturbing death threats in recent days after media reports surrounding former President Donald Trump's attendance at the commemorative event honoring the lost.

In particular, she said the menacing messages and chaos kicked up into high gear after Vice President Kamala Harris took to social media to decry Trump's participation as a political move. Harris penned the message on Aug. 31, taking to X to accuse Trump of playing politics at the Arlington National Cemetery event. "Donald Trump’s team chose to film a video there, resulting in an altercation with cemetery staff," Harris wrote. "Let me be clear: the former president disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt." She continued, "This is nothing new from Donald Trump. This is a man who has called our fallen service members 'suckers' and 'losers' and disparaged Medal of Honor recipients. A man who, during a previous visit to the cemetery, reportedly said of fallen service members, 'I don’t get it. What was in it for them?'"

Harris went on in the message to proclaim that "veterans, military families, and service members" should be " treated with nothing less than our highest respect and gratitude," and said Trump should never again be president. "I will always honor the service and sacrifice of all of America’s fallen heroes, who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our beloved nation and our cherished freedoms," Harris added. 

Ultimately, Shamblin felt the latest commemorative event at Arlington event was "beautiful and respectful" and said those organizing it worked with both the cemetery as well as Trump's team to try and have as few distractions and disruptions as possible. "After we were done with the wreath-laying ceremonies, we went to the grave sites, as we do every year on the anniversary," Shamblin said. "We spend the day there, and President Trump came with us, and laid flowers on each of the graves, and spoke to the families." She continued, "He didn't say, I don't think, more than a handful of words. It wasn't a political event. He didn't talk about himself, or his campaign ... he listened to our families tell stories about our loved ones."