August 29th 2024.
The US Army recently expressed strong disapproval of former President Donald Trump's presidential campaign following an incident that took place at Arlington National Cemetery. In a statement released on Thursday, the Army stated that those involved in the ceremony were well-informed about federal laws pertaining to political activities at the cemetery. However, they still disregarded these laws and even physically pushed aside an employee of the cemetery.
According to the Army spokesperson, participants in the ceremony on August 26th were reminded of federal laws, Army regulations, and Department of Defense policies that strictly prohibit any political activities on the grounds of the cemetery. Despite this, an employee of the cemetery was pushed aside by individuals who were a part of the ceremony. It is worth noting that Section 60, an area in the cemetery reserved for the graves of those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was also visited during the ceremony.
The statement went on to mention the unfortunate incident that occurred and expressed disappointment that the professionalism of the ANC employee was unfairly attacked. The spokesperson emphasized that the cemetery is a national shrine dedicated to the fallen heroes of the Armed Forces and its staff will continue to ensure that public ceremonies are carried out with the utmost dignity and respect.
The Army spokesperson also mentioned that although the incident was reported to the police department at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, the employee involved in the altercation decided not to press charges. As a result, the Army considers the matter closed.
This statement from the Army is an unusual rebuke, as the military generally avoids involvement in highly political issues. This is not the first time that there has been controversy surrounding Trump and the military, as his campaign has been using the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan under the Biden administration as a key election issue.
The incident took place while Trump was visiting the cemetery to lay a wreath in honor of 13 US military service members who were killed at Kabul airport's Abbey Gate in Afghanistan three years ago. A video posted by the Trump campaign on TikTok showed the former president walking through Arlington and visiting grave sites, while audio of him criticizing the Biden administration's handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal played in the background.
There have been conflicting accounts of the incident, with the Trump campaign denying any violations of the law, while cemetery officials claim they were warned beforehand to avoid any political activity. NPR first reported that a verbal and physical altercation took place during the cemetery visit. A source with knowledge of the incident revealed that a cemetery official had tried to prevent Trump's team from taking photos and filming in the area where recent US casualties are buried. In response, the Trump campaign staff verbally abused and physically pushed the official aside.
Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung denied claims of a physical altercation but admitted that an unnamed individual had blocked members of Trump's team from accompanying him during the ceremony. Cheung also suggested that the campaign has video evidence to support their claim, although no such video has been released yet.
The Trump campaign manager, Chris LaCivita, shared a similar account, stating that the former president had been invited by the Abbey Gate Gold Star Families to honor their fallen loved ones. He also condemned the behavior of the individual who allegedly physically blocked members of Trump's team, calling it a disgrace and dishonoring to the men and women of the armed forces.
However, according to a statement from Arlington National Cemetery, political campaign or election-related activities are prohibited within Army National Military Cemeteries by federal law. The cemetery stated that they had reinforced and widely shared this law and its prohibitions with all participants, including photographers, content creators, or anyone attending for the purpose of supporting a partisan political candidate's campaign.
Trump seemed to suggest that the incident was due to the use of photography by his campaign, sharing a statement from the family members of the fallen soldiers expressing their approval of the filming. However, it was not just the graves of those killed at Abbey Gate that were featured in photos and videos from Trump's visit. In at least one photo posted online, the grave of an Army Special Forces soldier who died by suicide was also featured, although his family had not given permission for this.
The family of Master Sergeant Andrew Marckesano, a Silver Star recipient, released a statement expressing their disappointment with the Trump campaign. They stated that although they support the families of the 13 fallen soldiers in their quest for answers and accountability, the campaign did not follow the rules set in place for their visit to SSGT Hoover's grave site in Section 60, which is located next to Marckesano's grave.
They emphasized that these are real people who sacrificed for their country's freedom, and their graves should be honored and respected accordingly. Some veteran groups also spoke out against the Trump campaign's political activities at Arlington, one of the most sacred burial grounds for US service members.
The CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Allison Jaslow, stated that there are plenty of places appropriate for politics, but Arlington is not one of them. She added that any aspiring elected official, especially one who hopes to be Commander in Chief, should not be confused about this fact. She also criticized the use of members of the community to justify politicking on such hallowed grounds.
VoteVets, a progressive organization that advocates for issues concerning US troops and veterans, also condemned Trump's use of the cemetery for political purposes. They called the whole episode sickening and an insult to the hundreds of thousands of families who did not agree to have their deceased loved ones dragged into politics.
In conclusion, the Army's statement serves as a reminder that Arlington National Cemetery is a place of reverence and should not be used for political activities. The Paralympic Games Paris 2024 can be watched live and free on Channel 9, 9Gem, and 9Now, with every event streaming ad-free, live, and on demand with 4K on Stan Sport.
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