Graves are seen under Memorial Day flags in Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on May 27, 2024. Jacqueline Martin/AP Hide caption
Toggle caption Jacqueline Martin/AP
The U.S. Army said an employee at Arlington National Cemetery who was trying to “enforce compliance” with rules banning political activity at cemeteries was “suddenly shoved” away, but decided not to press charges against the Trump campaign staffer who allegedly shoved him.
Thursday’s statement came in response to an NPR report about former President Donald Trump’s visit to Arlington and an altercation between the president’s staff and cemetery employees.
“Participants in the Aug. 26 ceremony and subsequent Section 60 visit were aware of federal law, Army regulations and Department of Defence policy which expressly prohibit political activity on cemetery grounds,” the statement said. “An ANC official attempting to enforce compliance with these regulations was abruptly shoved aside. In keeping with expected ANC decorum, the official conducted himself professionally and avoided further disruption. The incident was reported to the JBM-HH Police Station, but the official subsequently decided not to press charges. The Army therefore considers the matter resolved.”
In a statement, the army called the incident “unfortunate”, adding that it was “also regrettable that ANC personnel and their professionalism have been unfairly attacked”.
The statement came a day after Trump shared a TikTok video that included footage from Arlington National Cemetery, likely violating federal law that bans the use of military cemeteries for campaign purposes.
NPR reported that Trump campaign staff got into an altercation with Arlington National Cemetery staff over the restrictions on Monday.
This is not the first time Trump has been accused of politicizing the military, but his campaign has sought to downplay what happened in the aftermath.
Trump was in Arlington on Monday to mark three years since the attack in Afghanistan that left 13 U.S. soldiers dead during a harrowing troop withdrawal. Trump and other Republicans have blamed President Biden and Vice President Harris for the chaos and loss of life.
The 21-second video posted to Trump’s TikTok account shows several scenes of the former president laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and joining families of Gold Star recipients at the graves of their loved ones in a section of the cemetery known as Section 60.
“We lost 13 great men. What a terrible day,” Trump said over solemn music. “For 18 months, we hadn’t lost a single man, and then they inherited the disaster of withdrawing from Afghanistan.”
However, the Trump campaign was not permitted to film or take photographs under Article 60, and federal law prohibits military cemeteries from being used for campaign activities, and two campaign staffers became violent and argued with Arlington staff who tried to prevent them from filming.
In a statement after NPR’s original story, the family members in attendance Monday said they had invited Trump and authorized his photographer and videographer to document the emotional moments at the memorial.
Some family members also spoke at the Republican National Convention, blasting Biden and vocally supporting Trump.
“Joe Biden may have forgotten that our children died, but we haven’t forgotten, and neither has Donald Trump,” said Cheryl Jewelz at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July. Jewelz is the aunt of Sergeant Nicole Gee, one of the 13 people killed at Abbey Gate in 2021.
“Joe Biden owes the men and women who served in Afghanistan a debt of gratitude and apology. Donald Trump loves this country and will never forget the sacrifice and bravery of our service members,” she added. “Join us in returning him to the White House.”
Although the family said they have no problem with the cameras being there, they have no power to suspend the rules.
The family of Green Beret Master Sergeant Andrew Marchesano, who committed suicide after serving multiple combat missions and is buried at the 60th Precinct, said that based on conversations with the cemetery, “Trump campaign staff did not adhere to the rules established for this visit.”
“We hope that those who visit this sacred site will understand that there were real people who sacrificed their lives for our freedom, and that they are being honoured, respected and treated accordingly,” the statement said.
Trump’s campaign response
In the aftermath of the Arlington visit, the Trump campaign responded venomously, with a spokesperson saying that cemetery officials “clearly suffered from mental illness” and promising to release video of the incident but so far refusing to do so.
Republican vice presidential nominee, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, said Wednesday while campaigning in Pennsylvania that Ms. Harris could “go to hell” over the Afghanistan withdrawal and blamed reporters for the campaign controversy as “disagreement.”
“You in the media are acting as if Donald Trump was filming a television commercial in a cemetery,” Vance said. “He was giving emotional support to so many brave Americans who lost loved ones they should never have lost, and it just so happened that there was a camera there, and someone gave him permission to put that camera there.”
Meanwhile, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, who attended the Arlington event with Trump, apologized in a social media post for sending a campaign fundraising email that featured a photo of Trump and the former president in the 60th District with the family of Staff Sergeant Darin Taylor Hoover.
Governor Cox’s official account, “Governor X,” posted photos from the restricted area, and the posts remain online.
This is not the first time Trump has been accused of politicizing the military for his own personal gain. He has called dead soldiers “stupid losers,” insulted the late John McCain for being a prisoner of war, and recently sparked controversy by saying that civilian Medal of Freedom recipients are far superior to Medal of Honor recipients, the nation’s highest military award, which is often awarded posthumously.
