As the week got underway, Donald Trump probably thought going to Arlington National Cemetery would be a good idea. The former president, despite his awful record related to respecting U.S. troops and veterans, appeared eager on Monday to exploit the third anniversary of a terrorist attack in Afghanistan that killed 13 U.S. service members and more than 150 Afghans.
As a result, the Republican nominee attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which was quickly followed by a thumbs-up photo-op at a gravestone in Section 60 of the cemetery, where many service members killed in Afghanistan and Iraq are buried.
At that point, the story was already problematic. On Tuesday, however, the matter took a turn for the worse amid reports of an “incident” involving Trump aides and someone who worked at the cemetery. A day later, the controversy continued to intensify. NBC News reported:
Former President Donald Trump’s campaign is playing down reports of an altercation during his visit to Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, a move that signals its concern about potential political fallout from the incident.
Republicans might’ve hoped this scandal would be a one-day story. I have some bad news for them.
It’s a story with a surprising number of moving parts, so let’s summarize where things stand.
- Two defense officials told NBC News that a member of Trump's team pushed an employee at the cemetery, as part of the effort to take photographs at Section 60. The same NBC News report added that military police were called and wrote up an incident report, which has not been made public. (The Trump campaign has denied reports of a physical altercation.)
- A U.S. Army spokesperson also told NBC News in a written statement that those participating in the wreath-laying ceremony on Monday were made aware of federal laws, Army regulations, and Pentagon policies, which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds.
- That same Army spokesperson said an employee who works at Arlington National Cemetery attempted to ensure adherence to the rules when she was "abruptly pushed aside." According to the Army, the employee "acted with professionalism and avoided further disruption."
- The woman who works at the cemetery and filed an incident report has declined to press charges, The New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing military officials. According to the report, which has not been independently verified by MSNBC or NBC News, the woman feared “retaliation” from Trump’s followers.
- The same Times report highlighted concerns from one family, whose loved one served eight combat tours and is buried at Arlington, that believes the Trump campaign filmed his gravesite without permission.
- The Associated Press reported, citing a defense official, that the Trump campaign received warnings about not taking photographs in Section 60. If that report is accurate, the Republican operation did not heed those warnings.
- Mark Esper, who served as Trump’s Defense secretary, called for an investigation into the incident. Similarly, Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia issued a written statement calling for the release of documents related to Monday’s incident.
- USA Today published a report on veterans who were not pleased with Trump’s actions. The article quoted retired Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, a senior adviser at VoteVets, who called the campaign’s actions at the cemetery “nauseating” and “repugnant.”
- As feared, Team Trump has already released a campaign video featuring footage of the GOP candidate’s visit to Arlington.
- Did the Trump campaign’s actions this week violate the law? A Washington Post report reviewed the relevant details. As I noted earlier this week, Trump was apparently at the cemetery at the invitation of some family members of fallen service members. While those family members deserve respect and sympathy, politicians still aren’t supposed to exploit Arlington to advance their personal ambitions.
- Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance said Vice President Kamala Harris “can go to hell” for criticizing Trump’s cemetery appearance, despite the fact that Harris hadn’t actually made any such criticisms. The Ohio senator later declined to say whether presidential candidates should have to abide by federal law prohibiting campaigns from filming at gravesites.
Where will the controversy go next? Watch this space.