The US Army has come to the defense of an Arlington National Cemetery employee who was pushed aside during a visit by former President Donald Trump, stating that she acted professionally and has been unfairly attacked. The military, which rarely comments on political matters, issued a statement on Thursday that did not explicitly mention Trump or his campaign but referred to a ceremony held on Monday. During this event, Trump, the Republican candidate in the November 5 presidential election, visited the cemetery to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony in honor of the 13 servicemembers killed during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. He also visited Section 60, a hallowed ground where troops are buried. Federal law and Pentagon policies prohibit political activities in this section of the cemetery, but videos taken by Trump's campaign were used in advertisements.
According to the Army statement, an Arlington National Cemetery employee who tried to enforce these rules was abruptly pushed aside. The statement noted that the incident was unfortunate and that it was also unfortunate that the employee and her professionalism have been unfairly attacked. Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung claimed that a private photographer was allowed on the premises and that an unnamed individual, possibly experiencing a mental health episode, physically blocked members of President Trump's team during a solemn ceremony. Trump's vice presidential running mate, JD Vance, dismissed the criticism, stating that the Trump campaign had permission to have a photographer present during Trump's visit to the cemetery.
The US military is supposed to be apolitical, loyal to the US Constitution, and independent of any party or political movement. However, critics accused Trump of using the military as a prop and undermining Pentagon efforts to stay out of politics during his four-year term from 2017-2021. While in office, Trump intervened in military affairs, such as restoring the rank of a Navy SEAL convicted of posing with the corpse of an Islamic State detainee, and threatened to use US troops to quell protests across the country. Since leaving office, Trump has criticized some military officials. The Arlington cemetery incident has raised concerns among some officials and experts that Trump could use the military for political purposes if he wins a second term.
A US military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, "We really did not want to get involved in this, but what happened (at Arlington) is not acceptable." The Army has stated that it considers the matter closed since the employee did not press charges. Kori Schake, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, commented that this situation puts the military in a position they are trying to avoid. A TikTok post by Trump shows him near tombstones in Section 60 at the cemetery, sometimes smiling and giving a thumbs-up with the family of at least one servicemember killed in Afghanistan. Many veterans have criticized Trump, calling his actions disrespectful.
Retired U.S. Navy Admiral James Stavridis, on X (formerly known as Twitter), said, "This is no way for a government official or political candidate to conduct themselves on the sacred ground of Section 60 at Arlington. The final resting place of so many heroic Americans - including some who died under my command - is not a political prop." It remains unclear whether Trump's actions will affect veterans' votes on Election Day.
