By Glynn Wilson –
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Donald Trump and his campaign staff distastefully used the war dead at Arlington National Cemetery for political purposes on Monday, in direct violation of federal law, clashing with an official at the cemetery who confronted them and demanded that they stop taking pictures.
The military cemetery said in a statement that federal law prohibits political campaigning on the grounds, and that “there was an incident, and a report was filed.”
The altercation was prompted by the presence of a photographer in a section of the cemetery where American troops who were killed in recent wars are buried, according to the first official reports of the incident in the New York Times, citing a report from NPR.
An official with the cemetery tried to “physically block” members of Trump’s team, Steven Cheung, a Trump campaign spokesman, said in a statement, accusing the staffer of “suffering from a mental health episode.”
Cemetery officials did not provide their own account of the encounter, saying instead that “there was an incident, and a report was filed.”
The cemetery added that it had “reinforced and widely shared” to the Trump campaign the federal laws prohibiting campaign activities by photographers “or any other persons attending for purposes, or in direct support of a partisan political candidate’s campaign.”
VoteVets, the liberal veterans group, called on Trump to fire the members of his team involved in the confrontation.
Trump visited the cemetery for a wreath-laying ceremony honoring 13 American troops who were killed in a suicide bombing at Abbey Gate at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, during the United States’ withdrawal from that country three years ago. Trump has blamed President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for the bombing and America’s chaotic withdrawal, and repeated his attacks on the subject in campaign events after his visit to the cemetery.
Trump laid three wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington Monday morning, the third anniversary of the Abbey Gate bombing. Two of the wreaths were for Marines killed: Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover and Sgt. Nicole Gee. A third was dedicated to all 13 troops killed.
Trump was accompanied for the laying of the wreaths by family members of the slain troops, as well as Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews and Corporal Kelsee Lainhart, two Marines who were injured in the Abbey Gate attack. Sergeant Vargas-Andrews lost his right arm and left leg in the attack, and Corporal Lainhart was paralyzed in the attack and now uses a wheelchair.
Trump then accompanied the families and Marine veterans to Section 60 of the cemetery, reserved for those recently killed in America’s wars abroad, including at Abbey Gate.
That part of Trump’s visit was private and closed to the press. Cheung, the Trump campaign spokesman, pointed to a screenshot of an email that he argued gave the campaign photo access to Section 60. That excerpt, however, says that “former President Trump may have an official photographer and/or videographer outside of the main media pool,” but it does not suggest Trump’s photographer was given special access.
The campaign also shared text messages from family members of the veterans consenting to having Trump’s campaign media attend the event. The campaign did not provide evidence that the cemetery gave them permission to have a photographer at Section 60 — which the cemetery said in its statement would be a violation of federal law.
Gov. Spencer J. Cox, Republican of Utah, who visited the cemetery with Trump, shared a photo from Section 60 on social media, with Trump and others in a “thumbs-up” pose around the grave of Staff Sergeant Hoover.
Readers on social media, including many veterans, were appalled to see a photo of Trump giving a thumbs up at a grave site, and said it was just another example of Trump’s attitude that military veterans are “losers and suckers” who are fools to support him and his campaign for president.
___
If you support truth in reporting with no paywall, and fearless writing with no popup ads or sponsored content, consider making a contribution today with GoFundMe or Patreon or PayPal.
Before you continue, I’d like to ask if you could support our independent journalism as we head into one of the most critical news periods of our time in 2024.
The New American Journal is deeply dedicated to uncovering the escalating threats to our democracy and holding those in power accountable. With a turbulent presidential race and the possibility of an even more extreme Trump presidency on the horizon, the need for independent, credible journalism that emphasizes the importance of the upcoming election for our nation and planet has never been greater.
However, a small group of billionaire owners control a significant portion of the information that reaches the public. We are different. We don’t have a billionaire owner or shareholders. Our journalism is created to serve the public interest, not to generate profit. Unlike much of the U.S. media, which often falls into the trap of false equivalence in the name of neutrality, we strive to highlight the lies of powerful individuals and institutions, showing how misinformation and demagoguery can harm democracy.
Our journalists provide context, investigate, and bring to light the critical stories of our time, from election integrity threats to the worsening climate crisis and complex international conflicts. As a news organization with a strong voice, we offer a unique, outsider perspective that is often missing in American media.
Thanks to our unique reader-supported model, you can access the New American journal without encountering a paywall. This is possible because of readers like you. Your support keeps us independent, free from external influences, and accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for news.
Please help if you can.
American journalists need your help more than ever as forces amass against the free press and democracy itself. We must not let the crypto-fascists and the AI bots take over.
See the latest GoFundMe campaign here.
Don't forget to listen to the new song and video.
Just because we are not featured on cable TV news talk shows, or TikTok videos, does not mean we are not getting out there in search engines and social media sites. We consistently get over a million hits a month.
Click to Advertise Here