The U.S. Army says a staff member was "abruptly pushed aside" during a ceremony attended by former President Trump and his campaign during a Monday ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, but that the campaign member will not face charges.
The incident took place at a ceremony honoring the 13 U.S. soldiers who were killed in an attack on the Kabul airport during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. The Army confirmed reports of an altercation between at least one Trump campaign official and a cemetery staff member.
"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," the Army said in a statement.
"Consistent with the decorum expected at ANC, this employee acted with professionalism and avoided further disruption. The incident was reported to the JBM-HH police department, but the employee subsequently decided not to press charges. Therefore, the Army considers this matter closed," the statement continued.
"This incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that the ANC employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked. ANC is a national shrine to the honored dead of the Armed Forces, and its dedicated staff will continue to ensure public ceremonies are conducted with the dignity and respect the nation’s fallen deserve," the Army added.
The cemetery has a long-standing federal ban on the use of its property by any political campaigns, and cemetery staff had warned that campaign staff could not use the event to take photographs or video.
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung argued that the staffer who blocked the campaign photographers appeared to be having a "mental health episode." He also specified that the campaign was granted approval to bring a photographer.
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"The fact is that a private photographer was permitted on the premises and, for whatever reason, an unnamed individual, clearly suffering from a mental health episode, decided to physically block members of President Trump’s team during a very solemn ceremony," he said.
Trump attended the event at the invitation of relatives of the fallen soldiers, who thanked him for his attendance in a statement.
"We are deeply grateful to the president for taking the time to honor our children and for standing alongside us in our grief, offering his unwavering support during such a difficult time," five of the family members wrote after the event. "His compassion and respect meant more than words can express."
