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An Army spokesman confirmed reports that Trump campaign staff pushed a worker at Arlington National Cemetery.
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Donald Trump visited Arlington to commemorate the Abbey Gate bombing.
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While his allies defend the campaign’s actions, Trump’s performance is now shrouded in controversy.
An unnamed Arlington National Cemetery employee has reportedly declined to press charges after an altercation with former President Donald Trump’s team, citing fears of possible retaliation from Trump supporters.
The employee attempted to prevent Trump campaign workers from filming in Section 60, a portion of the cemetery reserved largely for service members killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, in an effort to enforce laws and regulations that prohibit political activity on the cemetery’s hallowed grounds.
An Army spokesman confirmed the incident occurred during Trump’s visit to Arlington on Monday. The former president laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers during a visit to the cemetery to mark the third anniversary of the Abbey Gate bombing, which killed 13 U.S. service members during the chaotic end to the war in Afghanistan.
“Participants in the August 26 ceremony and subsequent Section 60 visit were made aware of federal law, military regulations, and DoD policy that clearly prohibit political activity at cemeteries,” the spokesperson said in a statement obtained by Business Insider. “An ANC staff member who attempted to enforce these rules was abruptly pushed aside.”
The employee, the statement continued, has decided not to press charges. “Therefore, the military considers this matter closed.”
The Army statement also noted that the employee acted “professionally.” The Trump campaign had previously accused her of “mental health issues” and called her “despicable.”
At issue is the Trump campaign’s decision to film and photograph his visit to Section 60. His campaign also posted a TikTok of him posing in front of gravestones. Some marked the graves of servicemen killed in the Abbey Gate bombing, but because of the proximity of the graves, at least one other belonged to a serviceman whose family had not given permission to the Trump campaign.
According to The Times, relatives of Master Sgt. Andrew Marckesano, whose grave was captured in photos released by Trump’s team, confirmed that they had not given the former president’s team permission.
Family members of Staff Sgt. Darin Hoover and Sgt. Nicole Gee, both of whom were killed in the Abbey Gate bombing, said they gave permission for the Trump campaign to attend the event. Marine Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews (Ret.) and Marine Cpl. Kelsee Lainhart (Ret.), who accompanied Trump to the wreath-laying ceremony, also signed the statement.
“We allowed President Trump’s official videographer and photographer to attend the event to ensure that these sacred moments of remembrance were respectfully captured so that we can cherish these memories forever,” the campaign said in a statement.
Officials in Arlington allege Trump’s team broke the law.
One of the laws in question requires the director of the Army National Military Cemeteries, of which Arlington is the best known, to ensure that memorial services and ceremonies “do not involve partisan political activities.” Arlington’s own media guidelines state that “filming or photography is not permitted if it would create the impression that cemetery officials or a visitor or family member are endorsing a product, service, or organization.”
The policy also imposes restrictions on political campaigning, citing the Hatch Act, a law that limits federal employees from participating in political activities, and other statutes.
In statements to the media, the Trump campaign has denied that there was a physical altercation. Steven Cheung, a spokesman for the Trump campaign, told NPR, which broke the news about the incident, that the former president’s campaign would release footage that supported their version of events. But so far, they have not done so. Cheung also told NPR that the unnamed employee was “clearly suffering from a mental health episode.”
The army has vigorously suppressed these attacks.
“This incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that the ANC worker and her professionalism were unfairly targeted,” the military said. “ANC is a national shrine for the honoured dead of the armed forces, and its dedicated staff will continue to ensure that public ceremonies are conducted with the dignity and respect that the nation’s fallen deserve.”
The incident brings Trump’s history with veterans back into the spotlight.
VoteVets, an organization that supports Democratic veterans in their election campaigns, strongly criticized Trump’s campaign for its harsh targeting of the Arlington worker.
“Donald Trump’s blatant disrespect for the people buried at Arlington has now led to an all-out war against Arlington National Cemetery, which must protect its staff from vile attacks by the Trump-Vance campaign,” the organization said.
The incident once again highlights Trump’s past attacks on veterans.
As a presidential candidate in 2016 and later after his election, Trump repeatedly mocked Sen. John McCain of Arizona for being captured and imprisoned. Former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general, has also publicly alleged that Trump told staffers he would not visit a French cemetery where American service members killed in World War I are buried because they were “suckers” for being killed. Trump and his campaign have long disputed the sucker comment.
Trump recently incurred the ire of several veterans organizations by claiming that the Presidential Medal of Freedom was “better” for civilians than the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military award.
Ryan Pickrell contributed to this report.
Read the original article on Business Insider
