Army Chides Trump Campaign After Scuffle With Arlington Cemetery Employee

‘This incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that the ANC employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked,’ the Army said Thursday in a statement.

AP/Alex Brandon
Bill Barnett, left, grandfather of Darin Taylor Hoover, and President Trump place a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider at Arlington National Cemetery. AP/Alex Brandon

The leadership of the Arlington National Cemetery is responding to President Trump’s visit, saying campaign staffers pushed aside cemetery employees who attempted to tell them that his visit violated federal law.

Earlier this week, Trump visited Arlington National Cemetery at the invitation of several Gold Star families for a photo op at the grave sites of soldiers who died while serving in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  

The problem for the Trump campaign is that according to cemetery officials filming or photographing a gravesite for political purposes is a violation of federal law.

Since the photoshoot, Trump’s campaign has been drawing criticism for its use of the gravesites in political material, which has been heightened because Trump’s staff engaged in a physical altercation with a cemetery employee that attempted to inform them of the rule.

Now, the Army is responding to the incident with an official statement sent to Fox News, saying that members of the Trump campaign who filmed the ceremony were “made aware of federal laws… which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds.”

“An ANC employee who attempted to ensure adherence to these rules was abruptly pushed aside,” the statement reads. “Consistent with the decorum expected at ANC, this employee acted with professionalism and avoided further disruption.

According to the statement, the employee notified police of the issue but decided not to press charges, reportedly due to fear of retaliation from Trump supporters, and the “Army considers this matter closed.”

“This incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that the ANC employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked,” the statement said.


The New York Sun

© 2024 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use