During a campaign speech in Glendale, Arizona, Trump campaign vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance criticized the plea deal taken by three terrorists involved in the Sept. 11 attacks awaiting trial in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Vance expressed his disbelief at the Biden-Harris Department of Justice's decision to spare the death penalty for al-Qaeda terrorist Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, among others.
The Department of Defense announced pretrial agreements with Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin 'Attash, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi. Vance condemned the Biden-Harris administration, accusing them of prioritizing political agendas over national security.
House Speaker Mike Johnson also denounced the prosecutors' decision, calling it a betrayal of the victims' families who have long awaited justice for the 9/11 attacks. The plea deal has sparked outrage among loved ones of the victims, who feel that the terrorists are being let off lightly.
The defendants are accused of providing support to the 19 terrorists who carried out the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, resulting in the deaths of nearly 3,000 people. President Biden had previously rejected a plea deal that would have spared the terrorists from facing the death penalty.
Vance further criticized the Biden-Harris administration for its handling of international affairs, citing the recent controversial re-election of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He accused the administration of turning a blind eye to dictators and called for a return to American strength under former President Donald J. Trump.
The White House was contacted for comment on the matter but has not responded at the time of reporting.
