Donald Trump’s visit to Arlington National Cemetery, intended as a tribute to the fallen, by his telling, has instead ignited a storm of controversy. Some say it was merely an opportunistic photo op to promote his campaign; his staff denies it.
The drama unfolded with the release of a TikTok video from Trump’s campaign showcasing the former president at Arlington. It captures Trump walking reverently among the grave markers, interacting with Gold Star families, and participating in a wreath-laying ceremony in Section 60 – a sacred space reserved for soldiers recently laid to rest. While the visit was originally meant to commemorate the third anniversary of a deadly attack on American troops during the tumultuous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, it quickly turned into a stage for political rhetoric. Trump team denies that there was an altercation and had said it was prepared to release footage of the incident, but never did.
In the footage, Trump juxtaposed his administration’s record of zero casualties in Afghanistan over 18 months with the Biden administration’s handling of the withdrawal, which he denounced as a disaster that led to the deaths of 13 soldiers. The caption, “Should have never happened,” only adds a biting edge to his critique, with the graves of the fallen framing his political message in a dramatic tableau.
The story flared up after reports of a heated confrontation between Trump’s campaign staff and Arlington National Cemetery officials. According to sources, Trump’s aides were allegedly involved in a verbal and physical altercation with a cemetery official over the cemetery’s strict rules on photography and videography in Section 60, leading to accusations of misconduct and rule-breaking by the GOP president’s staff.
Arlington National Cemetery confirmed that an “incident” occurred, reiterating the federal regulations that ban political activities and photography within its grounds to preserve the site’s dignity and respect.
“Federal law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, to include photographers, content creators or any other persons attending for purposes, or in direct support of a partisan political candidate’s campaign. Arlington National Cemetery reinforced and widely shared this law and its prohibitions with all participants. We can confirm there was an incident, and a report was filed,” a statement reads.
Trump’s campaign has, however, vigorously denied any wrongdoing. Spokesman Steven Cheung described the altercation as a misunderstanding involving a “mentally unstable” individual and defended the use of a private photographer. Cheung portrayed the conflict as an exaggerated response by cemetery staff, seeking to downplay the seriousness of the situation.
Michael Tyler, the director of communications at the Harris-Walz campaign, told CNN on Wednesday that while the “incident” involving former President Trump at Arlington National Cemetery was “pretty sad,” it was also “what we’ve come to expect” from him.
“He’s also somebody who has a history debating and degrading military service members, those who have given the ultimate sacrifice,” Tyler said.
The incident brings to mind a previous controversy involving the inappropriate exploitation of a sacred site in order to simply further his political agenda.
On June 1, 2020, amid the George Floyd protests in Washington, D.C., law enforcement officers used tear gas and other riot control tactics to forcefully clear peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square, creating a path for then-President Donald Trump and senior administration officials to walk from the White House to St. John’s Episcopal Church. Trump held a Bible and posed for a photo op in front of Ashburton House (the church’s parish house), which had been defaced by graffiti and damaged by a fire set during protests the night before.
The episode has become emblematic of Trump’s insensitivity to public sentiment and his disregard for hallowed ground and sacred principles–including the U.S. Constitution.
As of Thursday morning, Trump has yet to address the controversy personally.
