WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army has disclosed a heavily redacted version of the police report involving an incident with a staff member from Donald Trump’s campaign. This report describes an altercation where the staffer allegedly pushed an employee at Arlington National Cemetery who was intervening to stop the taking of photographs during a ceremony commemorating service members who died during the Afghanistan War withdrawal.
Federal regulations restrict campaign or election activities within Army national military cemeteries. The limited visible content of the report’s executive summary, released following a court ruling, obscures a crucial term that appears to reference the action taken by the Trump campaign employee. It does note that the staff member employed both hands to push past the cemetery worker. However, all names are redacted, and the complete sworn testimony from the cemetery employee to law enforcement has been entirely blacked out.
According to earlier statements, the Trump staffer allegedly shoved the cemetery employee while she was attempting to stop two individuals from filming Trump’s visit to the gravesites in Section 60. This section is significant as it is the final resting place for U.S. service members who lost their lives in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.
The report indicates that the cemetery employee declined medical assistance and expressed no desire to file charges against the campaign staffer. A lawsuit for the release of this police report was initiated by American Oversight, a Washington-based organization focused on government transparency. The report was made public through a federal judge’s order on Friday. American Oversight has since made the report available on their website.
Trump, who is competing as the Republican nominee for president, is currently engaged in a close race against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. The incident has raised concerns regarding the military’s potential politicization by Trump’s campaign. Trump’s visit to the cemetery was arranged with the families of the service members, with staff present to document the event. Following the visit, he shared a TikTok video featuring scenes from the cemetery, including a voiceover in which he criticized the Biden administration for the “disaster” of the Afghanistan withdrawal back in August 2021.
Chioma Chukwu, the interim executive director of American Oversight, expressed satisfaction with the report’s release, emphasizing the importance of transparency regarding the ongoing federal investigation into the August incident at Arlington National Cemetery. She further commented on how the actions of Trump and his team resonate with his repeated patterns of politicizing military affairs and breaching ethical standards, stating that the public deserves access to all pertinent facts.
In a letter that accompanied the report, Army senior counsel Paul DeAgostino explained that the redactions were made to safeguard personal privacy and information pertinent to law enforcement activities. He noted that the records pertain to an active investigation, and their release could potentially disrupt ongoing enforcement actions.
The Army reiterated this point, stating that while the report was disclosed to comply with the court’s mandate, the police investigation remains open, hence further details cannot yet be shared. Since the cemetery employee chose not to file charges, the nature of any ongoing law enforcement proceedings remains unclear.
Families of three service members who lost their lives in a suicide bombing during the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal had invited Trump to this ceremony marking its third anniversary. They indicated that Trump was knowledgeable about their children’s sacrifices and have directed blame towards the Biden administration for their deaths. Some of these families publicly supported Trump during the Republican National Convention in July to counter claims that he hasn’t adequately supported veterans.
Previously, the Trump campaign has asserted that its team had permission for a photographer at the cemetery, challenging the assertion that a campaign staffer pushed the cemetery employee, and refuting the notion that the official was unfairly targeted. A defense official had indicated that the Trump campaign received warnings against taking photos in Section 60 prior to their arrival and the occurrence of the altercation.
During a campaign event in Michigan a few days post-incident, Trump remarked that family members requested to take pictures with him at the cemetery, lamenting the suggestion that he was campaigning. He did not, however, address the content of the TikTok video shared after the visit.