A U.S. Marine Corps spokesperson is weighing in on whether Lance Cpl. Hunter Clark was the Marine in the viral video which showed a troop hoisting a baby over a wall at the Kabul airport in Afghanistan.
Former President Donald Trump held a rally in Georgia over the weekend and invited Clark to the stage, seemingly suggesting he was the one who appeared in the viral video.
āWeāre also honored to be joined by one of the Marines who bravely served in Kabul during the withdrawal,ā Trump said, āAnd helped evacuate children over ā¦ the airport wall. You saw him. He did a great job.ā
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Telling the audience he is āthe guy that pulled the baby over the wall,ā Clark explained, āItās definitely probably one of the greatest things Iāve ever done in my entire life.ā
Clark additionally thanked the audience for their support, adding, āIt really means a lot and Iām glad to be home now today. Thank you.ā
Kelton Cochran, a spokesman for the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, said in a statement that Clarkās claims were not exactly accurate.
āRegarding the viral photo that began circulating around August 20, 2021, the Marine identified in that particular image was not LCpl Clark,ā Cochran said, according to CNN.
He continued, āThe 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) has initiated a command investigation regarding LCpl Hunter Clarkās attendance at the event last weekend to determine if any DoD policies were violated.ā
According to Cochran, ādetails pertaining to this incident are not releasable while the investigation is being conducted.ā
Trump has repeatedly blasted President Joe Biden for his handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan. On Tuesday, the former president released a statement suggesting the withdrawal āwas developed by a childās mind, and only the Biden Administration is responsible for it.ā
Concluding his criticism, Trump called it āone of the dumbest Military moves in history.ā