The Gold Star families who invited him there are defending former President Donald Trump’s much derided decision to bring federally prohibited photographers and videographers into Arlington National Cemetery, according to a statement released by the Trump campaign.
In a joint Sunday statement shared by Trump’s campaign staff, the relatives of some of the 13 service members killed during the withdrawal from the war in Afghanistan three years ago said Trump’s appearance at Arlington was not meant to be a political matter.
“We, the families of the brave service members who were tragically killed in the Abbey Gate bombing, are appalled by Vice President Kamala Harris’ recent attempts to politicize President Trump’s visit to Arlington National Cemetery. President Trump was invited by us, the Gold Star families, to attend the solemn ceremonies commemorating the three-year anniversary of our children’s deaths,” they said.
The statement was from the relatives of Sgt. Nicole Gee, Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz, Cpl. Hunter Lopez, Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum, Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, Cpl. Humberto Sanchez, and Staff Sgt. Darin Hoover.
Their assertion comes after Harris, in a Saturday statement shared to her social media accounts, joined shocked veterans and service organizations in taking aim at the former president for using Section 60, the portion of the Army cemetery that contains America’s most recently departed veterans, as a political prop.
“As Vice President, I have had the privilege of visiting Arlington National Cemetery several times. It is a solemn place; a place where we come together to honor American heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of this nation. It is not a place for politics,” she wrote.
“And yet, as was reported this week, Donald Trump’s team chose to film a video there, resulting in an altercation with cemetery staff. Let me be clear: the former president disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt,” Harris said.
According to the statement attributed to the relatives of the deceased, Trump’s appearance was not supposed to be a campaign event, but a memorial service.
“His attendance at Arlington was not for political gain but to stand with us, to grieve with us, and to honor the legacy of those who gave everything for this nation,” they said. “His leadership during his time in office was strong, and we have no doubt that if he were still Commander-in-Chief, our children would be alive today.”
This is despite the fact that Trump’s campaign used footage from the event in videos they shared, in which Trump clearly references his political opponents, and that Trump chose to travel to the cemetery with his campaign team. Trump’s team and some Republican allies also shared photos of the former commander-in-chief as he stood smiling and flashing his signature half-raised thumbs-up while standing behind military graves.
One of Trump’s campaign managers, Chris LaCivita, shared a separate video of Trump’s visit on social media, claiming he was doing so while “hoping to trigger the hacks” working for the U.S. Army.
The vice president’s thoughts on the matter, however, are echoed by those of the U.S. Army, which said in a rare public rebuke that Trump should have known better than to use the nation’s hallowed grounds for a campaign video.
Filming and photography at ANC, according to the Army, are strictly forbidden without prior approval from military officials. Trump did not have permission, and the grieving families don’t have the authority to grant it on behalf of the Army or the families of the other deceased service members buried there.
“Participants in the August 26th ceremony and the subsequent Section 60 visit were made aware of federal laws, Army regulations and DoD policies, which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds. An ANC employee who attempted to ensure adherence to these rules was abruptly pushed aside. Consistent with the decorum expected at ANC, this employee acted with professionalism and avoided further disruption,” U.S. Army Public Affairs wrote.
Title 32, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Section 553.32(c) states that “memorial services and ceremonies at Army National Military Cemeteries will not include partisan political activities.”
Trump’s campaign spokesperson, Steven Cheung, reportedly said the ANC employee allegedly pushed aside by campaign staff was “suffering from a mental health episode.” According to the Army the employee declined to press for charges after the incident.
According to Harris, this sort of behavior is just par for the course with Trump, who was recently taken to task by the Veterans of Foreign Wars over his declarations the Presidential Medal of Freedom is somehow a higher award or more notable an achievement than the military Medal of Honor.
“If there is one thing on which we as Americans can all agree, it is that our veterans, military families, and service members should be honored, never disparaged, and treated with nothing less than our highest respect and gratitude,” she said. “And it is my belief that someone who cannot meet this simple, sacred duty should never again stand behind the seal of the President of the United States of America.”
