Army criticizes Trump campaign for inappropriate conduct at Arlington National Cemetery

When the cemetery’s public affairs director attempted to prevent the Trump campaign from illegally filming in a prohibited area where recently deceased service members are buried, a member of Trump’s team pushed past the employee.

The US Army has rebuked former President Donald Trump and his presidential campaign after they used Arlington National Cemetery (ANC), where nearly 400,000 US veterans have been laid to rest, for a political photo op on Monday, during which a Trump aide “abruptly pushed aside” an employee.

Trump and his campaign visited the cemetery in an attempt to draw attention to the third anniversary of the Islamic State bombing that killed 13 American service members during the evacuation from Afghanistan.

When the cemetery’s public affairs director attempted to prevent the campaign from illegally filming in Section 60 of the cemetery — a prohibited area where recently deceased service members are buried —  a member of Trump’s team pushed past the employee, according to the Army’s statement.

The Trump campaign later posted a video on TikTok, which shows the former president walking through grave sites in Section 60 while criticizing the Biden administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Political campaign or election-related activities are prohibited within Army National Military Cemeteries under federal law. The Army’s statement says that Trump’s campaign was “made aware of federal laws” regarding political activity at the cemetery and in Section 60, as well as Army regulations, and Department of Defense policies.

Section 60 is an area in the cemetery that’s been largely reserved for the graves of those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past two decades.

Two Trump campaign officials, spokesman Steven Cheung and co-campaign chair Chris LaCivita, insulted the cemetery worker in public statements following the incident. Cheung claimed the employee was “suffering from a mental health episode,” while LaCivita said that she was a “despicable individual” who “does not deserve to represent the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery.” 

The Trump campaign also said it was prepared to release footage of the altercation, but did not. 

In a statement, the Army defended the cemetery employee and lamented the criticism of her from the Trump campaign. 

“This incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that the ANC employee and her professionalism have been unfairly attacked,” the statement goes on. “ANC is a national shrine to the honored dead of the Armed Forces, and its dedicated staff will continue to ensure public ceremonies are conducted with the dignity and respect the nation’s fallen deserve.” 

Although the incident was reported to the police, the employee in question has “decided not to press charges” so the Army “considers this matter closed.”

While the Trump campaign was apparently given approval by some of the families of the 13 soldiers who died during the Afghanistan withdrawal to film, other families gave no such approval and yet saw their loved one’s grave featured in the media the Trump campaign shared on social media. One of these graves was that of Master Sgt. Andrew Marckesano, a Silver Star recipient who died by suicide in 2020.

A statement from Marckesano’s sister said that while her family supports the families of the 13 fallen “in their quest for answers and accountability regarding the Afghanistan withdrawal,” the Trump campaign “did not adhere to the rules” of Section 60.

Some veterans and veterans groups have also criticized the Trump campaign’s behavior at the cemetery.

Charlie Iacono, the president and CEO of the Green Beret Foundation, told CNN that the foundation “stands in full support of the statements provided by the Marckesano family.”

“Every soul laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery and other military cemeteries across the globe deserves to have the policies that honor them upheld and the appropriate protocols followed, ensuring that their legacies are never forgotten,” he said.

Allison Jaslow, the CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said in a statement that there are “plenty of places appropriate for politics — Arlington is not one of them.”

Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Paul Eaton called the incident “repugnant” on Monday, and Fred Wellman, a 22-year Army combat veteran told USA TODAY on Wednesday that “people are aptly furious,” including himself. 

Eaton, a senior adviser at VoteVets, a progressive organization that advocates for issues relating to US troops and veterans, called the campaign’s actions “nauseating.”

“They see no issue bringing partisan politics there, even if it means getting into physical altercations with cemetery staff,” Eaton told USA TODAY. “I truly cannot think of something more repugnant than starting a political fracas on land where Gold Star families mourn. Someone who would do that should never be Commander-in-Chief.”