During a recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery, former President Donald Trump honored the memory of 13 U.S. servicemen who tragically lost their lives in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan in 2021, amidst the chaotic end of the U.S. military presence there, overseen by the Biden-Harris administration. Trump participated in a ceremony laying wreaths before he and families of the fallen visited Section 60, a space dedicated to those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Accompanied by his personal photographer and videographer, an incident occurred when a cemetery employee reportedly attempted to obstruct Trump’s team from entering Section 60 and from recording or photographing the visit. It’s said that the team managed to continue despite this interruption.
Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump, commented, “the cemetery worker was ‘clearly suffering from a mental health episode.’” Meanwhile, Chris LaCivita, co-manager of the Trump campaign and a Purple Heart recipient from his service in the Gulf War, criticized the employee’s actions as shameful, saying this person was unfit to represent the solemnity of Arlington National Cemetery.
Although this confrontation was brought to the attention of law enforcement, no formal charges were pursued by the cemetery staff involved.
In a rare move for such incidents, the U.S. Army, acting under the current administration, publicly addressed the occurrence, affirming that ceremonies at ANC are usually conducted smoothly and without issues. They emphasized that all involved were briefed on the laws and regulations that prohibit political acts on the cemetery’s grounds. The Army defended the cemetery worker’s conduct as professional, which they say prevented any further escalation of the situation. They regretted the unwarranted criticism directed at the employee, underscoring that Arlington remains a reverent site for America’s military heroes, maintained by a committed workforce.
“The incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that the ANC employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked,” according to the Army’s statement.
Despite this, Cheung shared communication from ANC that outlined the permissions granted to Trump’s media team for the event, noting that Trump, unlike other attendees, was allowed his own dedicated media coverage.
Notably, during Joe Biden’s vice presidency, he also had his media team with him during a visit to Section 60 in 2010, footage of which was later used in his 2020 campaign.
Gold Star families issued a statement expressing gratitude towards Trump for his respectful demeanor during the visit, specifically thanking him and his team for their presence and for capturing the moment respectfully.
“We would like to express our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to President Donald J. Trump for his presence at the recent Section 60 gathering, honoring our children and their fallen brothers and sisters,” the families shared. They appreciated Trump’s compassionate support during their time of grief.
It was mentioned that Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who approved the withdrawal operations, did not attend the ceremony honoring the 13 servicemen and chose other engagements instead.
