Utah Republican Governor Spencer Cox faced backlash on Wednesday after a campaign email was circulated containing a photo of him and former President Donald Trump at Arlington National Cemetery during a wreath-laying ceremony. According to Arlington National Cemetery, federal law prohibits campaign-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, a rule that was reiterated before the ceremony on Monday.
The campaign email, which featured the photo from the graveside ceremony honoring Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover of Utah, one of the 13 individuals who died in Afghanistan three years ago, was soliciting donations for Cox’s reelection bid. In response to the criticism, Cox’s campaign issued an apology for using the photo and for politicizing the event, stating that it was not intended as a campaign event and should not have been sent out without proper vetting.
This incident comes on the heels of a similar controversy involving Trump’s campaign staff at Arlington National Cemetery earlier in the week, where a warning was issued about taking photographs during the wreath-laying ceremony to honor service members killed in the Afghanistan War withdrawal.
Despite the criticism, Cox is anticipated to secure his reelection in November in the Republican-heavy state, following his primary victory over a staunch Trump supporter, Phil Lyman, who propagated false claims of election fraud post the 2020 presidential election. Cox’s recent public endorsement of Trump, despite not voting for him in the past and Trump not reciprocating the endorsement, has surprised many voters and observers, considering Cox’s previous portrayal as a moderate figure akin to Mitt Romney.
Critics, including Cox’s Democratic opponent in the upcoming election, State Representative Brian King, have deemed the use of a veterans’ memorial event for a campaign photo-op by Trump and Cox as disrespectful. King has called on the Republican governor to retract his endorsement of Trump in light of the incident.
