Arlington National Cemetery Tuesday confirmed that an incident occurred during former President Donald Trump’s visit on Monday, which was held to mark the third anniversary of the Abbey Gate attacks in Afghanistan.
The statement indicated that an incident was confirmed and a report was filed.
The cemetery, located in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, explained that federal law forbids any political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries. This includes activities by photographers, content creators, or any individuals attending for or in support of a partisan political candidate’s campaign. Arlington National Cemetery had reinforced and widely communicated this law and its restrictions to all participants.
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
On Monday, Trump took part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, commemorating the third anniversary of the deaths of 13 U.S. service members in an attack by the Islamic State outside the Kabul airport in Afghanistan. Additionally, more than 150 Afghans were killed. The parents of the fallen service members have voiced their frustration with President Joe Biden’s administration over the lack of answers regarding the attack.
After the ceremony, Trump proceeded to Section 60 of the cemetery, where some service members killed in Afghanistan and Iraq are interred, and recording is typically heavily restricted.
Atercation with cemetery official
Reports on Tuesday stated that two staff members from Trump’s campaign had a verbal and physical altercation with a cemetery official who attempted to prevent them from filming.
The statement from Arlington National Cemetery did not confirm these details. Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director, disputed some of the details in the report and mentioned that the campaign was prepared to release footage to back up its claims.
Cheung indicated that there was no physical altercation as described and that they were ready to release footage if such defamatory claims were made. He added that a private photographer was allowed on the premises, and an unnamed individual, who appeared to be experiencing a mental health crisis, obstructed members of President Trump’s team during the solemn ceremony.
Cheung later reiterated on X that Trump was permitted to have a photographer present.
Trump’s co-campaign manager responds
Chris LaCivita, Trump’s co-campaign manager, shared a video on X showing Trump placing flowers at a gravesite.
In his statement, LaCivita criticized the “despicable individual” who allegedly physically blocked Trump’s team from joining him at the event.
He described it as disgraceful for someone to physically block President Trump’s team from attending such a solemn event and argued that it tarnishes the sacred grounds of Arlington National Cemetery. He claimed that those spreading these lies were dishonoring the armed forces and disrespecting everyone who sacrificed for the country.
LaCivita also asserted that Trump was at Section 60 at the invitation of Abbey Gate Gold Star families to honor their loved ones who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Controversies galore
This month, Trump stirred controversy by claiming that the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a civilian award, was “better” than the Medal of Honor, the highest military award, because recipients of the latter are often deceased or injured.
Trump has previously faced criticism over a 2020 report in The Atlantic, which former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly later confirmed, alleging that Trump made derogatory remarks about fallen soldiers, referring to them as “suckers” and “losers.” Trump has denied these allegations.
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President Biden mourns killings
President Biden marked the three-year anniversary of the attack at Kabul airport, where 13 U.S. service members lost their lives.
In a statement on Monday, he identified the 13 service members and highlighted that over 100 innocent Afghans were also killed in the airport bombing.
He described the 13 Americans, along with those who were wounded, as patriots in the truest sense. Some of them were born when the war in Afghanistan began, while others were on their second or third tour. All of them chose to serve a cause greater than themselves, risking their own safety to protect their fellow Americans, Allies, and Afghan partners.
The chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan was one of Biden’s initial major foreign policy actions as president. Since then, Republicans have continued to criticize him and his administration for how the exit was handled. The service members died when a bomb detonated at the airport while U.S. forces were working to evacuate thousands of U.S. citizens and Afghan civilians.
Trump slams Biden, Harris on Abbey Gate attacks
On Monday, former President Donald Trump linked Vice President Kamala Harris to the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, marking the third anniversary of the suicide bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members, referring to the attack as a “humiliation.”
Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, honored Sgt. Nicole Gee, Staff Sgt. Darin Hoover, and Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss, who were killed along with over 100 Afghans in the Aug. 26, 2021, suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport, by laying wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery. He then proceeded to Michigan to address the National Guard Association of the United States conference.
He stated to an audience of around 4,000, including National Guard members and their families in Detroit, that the humiliation in Afghanistan, which he attributed to Kamala Harris and Joe Biden, triggered the collapse of American credibility and respect globally.
“Most embarrassing day in the history of our country”
The Biden administration was adhering to a withdrawal plan and timeline negotiated with the Taliban by the Trump administration in 2020. A 2022 review by a government-appointed special investigator determined that decisions made by both Trump and Biden were pivotal in the swift collapse of Afghanistan’s military and the Taliban’s takeover.
In his speech to the National Guard in Detroit, Trump acknowledged that leaving Afghanistan was the correct decision but criticized the manner in which it was executed. He expressed that it was supposed to be done with dignity and strength and described the attack as “the most embarrassing day in the history of our country.”
Since Biden ended his reelection bid, Trump has focused on Harris, now the Democratic presidential nominee, scrutinizing her roles in foreign policy decisions. He has specifically emphasized Harris’s statements about being the last person in the room before Biden made the decision on Afghanistan.
