Former President Donald Trump has strongly denied reports of a confrontation at Arlington National Cemetery, calling the alleged incident a “made up story” and asserting that no conflict occurred during his visit last week.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused Vice President Kamala Harris and her “misinformation squad” of inventing the story to divert attention from what he described as the “BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS” related to the “INCOMPETENT AFGHANISTAN Withdrawal.” He insisted that the visit was a “beautiful day of honor” and expressed gratitude to Gold Star families for “revealing the TRUTH.”
The controversy arose after NPR reported that an official from Arlington National Cemetery had a confrontation with members of Trump’s campaign staff, who were allegedly filming and taking photos in Section 60, a restricted area where soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq are buried. The Army later confirmed that the official was attempting to enforce regulations prohibiting political activities on cemetery grounds when they were pushed aside.
Trump’s campaign has denied any physical altercation, stating they had permission to film in the restricted area. Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung claimed that an individual, whom he described as “clearly suffering from a mental health episode,” tried to obstruct the campaign’s team during the ceremony.
Trump criticized President Biden and Vice President Harris for not attending the cemetery, suggesting they should have been there instead of “on a beach or studying for a Debate.” However, NBC News reported that the families did not invite the president or vice president to commemorate the anniversary of the Kabul attack.
During a campaign stop in Pennsylvania, Trump spoke about his visit to the cemetery, saying he was invited to take photos with the families of service members killed during the Afghanistan withdrawal. He emphasized that his visit was not for publicity, stating, “I get a lot of publicity. I would like to get a lot less publicity.”
The Trump campaign also released a statement from the families of two service members, asserting that “the president and his team conducted themselves with nothing but the utmost respect and dignity for all of our service members, especially our beloved children.”
Despite Trump’s rejection of the reported incident, Democratic lawmakers have called for a “full account” from the Army, and Vice President Harris has condemned the Trump campaign for “disrespecting sacred ground” for a “political stunt.” The Army has defended its official, affirming that they acted with professionalism in enforcing the rules at Arlington National Cemetery.
