Army says Arlington National Cemetery worker was ‘pushed aside’ by Trump aides

Up to date August 29, 2024 at 18:20 PM ET

The U.S. Military mentioned an worker at Arlington Nationwide Cemetery who tried to “guarantee adherence” to guidelines that prohibit political actions on the cemetery “was abruptly pushed apart,” however that the worker determined to not press costs in opposition to the Trump marketing campaign staffers who allegedly pushed her.

The assertion Thursday is available in response to NPR’s reporting on former President Donald Trump’s go to to Arlington and an altercation his workers had with a cemetery worker.

“Contributors within the August twenty sixth ceremony and the following Part 60 go to had been made conscious of federal legal guidelines, Military rules and DoD insurance policies, which clearly prohibit political actions on cemetery grounds,” the assertion mentioned. “An ANC worker who tried to make sure adherence to those guidelines was abruptly pushed apart. In line with the decorum anticipated at ANC, this worker acted with professionalism and prevented additional disruption. The incident was reported to the JBM-HH police division, however the worker subsequently determined to not press costs. Subsequently, the Military considers this matter closed.”

The Military, in its assertion, referred to as the incident “unlucky,” including: “additionally it is unlucky that the ANC worker and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked.”

As a result of federal legislation prohibits Military workers from being concerned with any political marketing campaign, the workers on the cemetery didn’t deal instantly with the Trump marketing campaign about his go to there. A supply conversant in the occasion mentioned the cemetery workers labored with the workers of Republican Congressman Brian Mast of Florida, who joined Trump at Arlington.

Arlington Cemetery workers dealt instantly with Mast’s chief of workers, James Langenderfer, briefing him extensively on the foundations, which embody no marketing campaign occasions on the cemetery. Additionally they reiterated that solely an official Arlington Nationwide Cemetery photographer — and no marketing campaign photographer — might be used at Part 60, the situation of the current American conflict lifeless. The supply mentioned Langenderfer advised them the Trump marketing campaign agreed to those guidelines.

NPR reached out to Mast’s workers and requested if Langenderfer was briefed and relayed that data to the Trump marketing campaign. They didn’t deal with the questions however as a substitute launched an announcement.

Within the assertion to NPR, Mast mentioned: “President Trump performed no politics at Arlington Nationwide Cemetery.”

The assertion comes a day after Trump shared a TikTok video together with footage from Arlington Nationwide Cemetery that doubtless violates a federal legislation in opposition to utilizing army cemeteries for campaigning functions.

NPR reported that Trump marketing campaign staffers had a bodily altercation with an Arlington Nationwide Cemetery staffer on Monday over the restriction.

It is not the primary time Trump has been accused of politicizing the army, however the marketing campaign is in search of to downplay what occurred within the aftermath.

Trump was at Arlington on Monday to commemorate the third anniversary of an assault in Afghanistan that killed 13 U.S. service members amid the disastrous withdrawal of troops. Trump and different Republicans have blamed President Biden and Vice President Harris for the chaos and lack of life.

The 21-second video posted on Trump’s TikTok account exhibits the previous president laying a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and several other snippets of Trump becoming a member of Gold Star members of the family at gravesites of their family members in part of the cemetery often called Part 60.

“We misplaced 13 nice, nice folks — what a horrible day it was,” Trump says over somber music. “We did not lose one particular person in 18 months, after which they took over the catastrophe, the leaving of Afghanistan.”

Trump has been making this declare about 18 months with out army casualties throughout his administration for years, and it’s not true. The 18-month interval from February 2020 to August 2021 noticed no combat-related deaths in Afghanistan, with a part of that when Biden was in workplace.

The Trump marketing campaign was not approved to movie or {photograph} in Part 60, federal legislation prohibits the usage of army cemeteries for marketing campaign occasions, and two marketing campaign staffers obtained in a bodily and verbal altercation with the Arlington staffer who tried to stop the filming.

In an announcement after NPR’s unique story, members of the family current Monday mentioned they invited Trump and gave approval for his photographer and videographer to doc an emotional second of remembrance.

A few of these members of the family additionally spoke on the Republican Nationwide Conference, bashing Biden and vocally endorsing Trump.

“Joe Biden could have forgotten that our kids died, however we’ve got not forgotten — Donald Trump has not forgotten,” mentioned Cheryl Juels in Milwaukee on the RNC in July. Juels is the aunt of Sgt. Nicole Gee, one of many 13 U.S. service members killed at Abbey Gate in Afghanistan in 2021.

“Joe Biden owes the women and men that served in Afghanistan a debt of gratitude and an apology. Donald Trump loves this nation and can always remember the sacrifice and bravado of our service members,” she added. “Be a part of us in placing him again within the White Home.”

Although the family members mentioned they had been OK with the cameras current, the households do not need the ability to droop the foundations.

The household of Grasp Sgt. Andrew Marckesano, a Inexperienced Beret who died by suicide after serving a number of fight excursions and who’s buried in Part 60, mentioned based on their conversations with the cemetery, “the Trump marketing campaign staffers didn’t adhere to the foundations that had been set in place for this go to.”

“We hope that these visiting this sacred website perceive that there have been actual individuals who sacrificed for our freedom and that they’re honored and revered and handled accordingly,” they mentioned in an announcement.

The Trump marketing campaign responds

Within the aftermath of the go to to Arlington, the Trump marketing campaign’s response has taken on a tone of nastiness. One spokesman mentioned the cemetery staffer was “clearly affected by a psychological well being episode” and promised to launch footage of the encounter however has to date declined to take action.

On the marketing campaign path in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, the Republican vice presidential nominee, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, mentioned Harris might “go to hell” over the Afghanistan withdrawal and blamed reporters for the marketing campaign’s controversy, which he referred to as a “disagreement.”

“You guys within the media, you are performing like Donald Trump filmed a TV business at a grave website,” Vance mentioned. “He was there offering emotional assist to lots of courageous People who misplaced family members they by no means ought to have misplaced. And there occurred to be a digital camera there, and anyone gave him permission to have that digital camera there.”

Trump echoed that argument Thursday, doubling down on assaults in opposition to Harris and Biden in a clip posted to his marketing campaign’s Trump Social account from a marketing campaign occasion in Michigan.

“She doesn’t respect you, ask the households of the 13 unbelievable servicemember heroes who died in the course of the give up of Afghanistan — which was surrendered by Kamala and ‘Sleepy Joe’ — whether or not or not Kamala Harris cares about our younger folks and our army,” Trump mentioned.

In the meantime, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, who attended the Arlington occasions with Trump, apologized in a social media put up for sending a marketing campaign fundraising e mail with a photograph of him and the previous president in Part 60 with the household of Employees Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover.

Cox’s official gubernatorial X account posted a photograph from the restricted space, and the put up remains to be on-line.

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