An incident occurred at Arlington National Cemetery where a cemetery official was reportedly pushed aside during a wreath-laying ceremony involving former President Donald Trump’s staff. The employee decided not to press charges, and the Army spokesman deemed the matter closed. The altercation occurred due to the staff not adhering to rules during the ceremony earlier in the week.
The Trump campaign had been warned not to take photographs in Section 60, which is the burial site for military personnel killed in Afghanistan and Iraq, before the incident took place. Despite the warning, Trump attended the wreath-laying ceremony on Monday, commemorating the 13 service members who lost their lives in the Kabul airport bombing three years prior.
Cemetery officials confirmed an incident took place and a report was filed but did not disclose specific details. It was emphasized that political campaign or election-related activities are prohibited within Army National Military Cemeteries, including photographers or individuals supporting a partisan political candidate.
Trump’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, denied the accusation that a campaign staffer had pushed the cemetery official, attributing the incident to an individual experiencing a mental health episode. A top Trump campaign adviser defended Trump’s conduct during the event, stating that the president showed respect and dignity towards the fallen service members.
Amid the controversy, Vice President Kamala Harris’ spokesperson criticized Trump and his team, labeling the incident as typical behavior from them. Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, downplayed the incident, shifting focus to the Afghanistan withdrawal and criticism towards the Biden administration for the handling of the evacuation and the terror attack that led to the service members’ deaths. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, which the Pentagon investigation concluded was unpreventable.
