Donald Trump’s Arlington National Cemetery Visit Sparks New Controversy
This week, former President Donald Trump’s campaign faced fresh controversy during his visit to Arlington National Cemetery, aimed at highlighting the disarray of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
According to two Trump campaign officials, an individual physically obstructed Trump’s team from accompanying him during the Monday visit. A cemetery spokesperson confirmed to CNN that an incident occurred and a report was filed, but offered no further details.
Trump’s visit, which included a wreath-laying ceremony to honor the 13 US service members killed at Kabul airport’s Abbey Gate, was marked by a TikTok video posted by the Trump campaign, commemorating the three-year anniversary of the tragedy.
Trump’s Arlington Cemetery Visit Ignites New Controversy Over Photography and Conduct
In a Truth Social post, former President Donald Trump suggested that a recent incident during his Arlington National Cemetery visit was related to his campaign’s use of photography. Trump shared a statement from the families of fallen soldiers who expressed their approval of having an official videographer and photographer present to capture the event respectfully.
However, Arlington National Cemetery clarified that federal law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within its grounds. The cemetery confirmed that it had communicated these restrictions to all participants, including photographers and content creators supporting partisan political candidates.
The controversy emerged following an NPR report detailing a “verbal and physical altercation” at the event. Sources indicated that a cemetery official attempted to stop Trump’s team from photographing and filming near the burial sites of recent US casualties. According to NPR, Trump campaign staff allegedly “verbally abused and pushed the official aside.”
Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung denied claims of physical altercation but confirmed that an individual attempted to “physically block” Trump’s team. Cheung hinted that video evidence might support this claim.
Trump campaign manager Chris LaCivita defended the visit, stating that Trump attended the event at the invitation of the Abbey Gate Gold Star Families to honor their loved ones. LaCivita condemned the actions of the individual who allegedly obstructed Trump’s team, calling it a disgrace and an affront to Arlington’s sacred grounds.
Sen. JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, downplayed the incident as a “little disagreement” and reiterated that the families had invited Trump to support them. Vance insisted that evidence supports the campaign’s claim of permission for photography.
In contrast, Virginia Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly has called for Arlington Cemetery to publicly release the report on the incident, questioning Trump’s motives and condemning his team’s behavior as “abhorrent and shameful.”
This story has been updated to include further statements and developments related to the controversy surrounding Trump’s visit.
