Arlington cemetery official was 'pushed aside' in Trump staff altercation but won't press charges

This was the scene at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, former President Donald Trump laying flowers at *** grave site. He was there to honor 13 us military service members killed in the attack at the airport in Kabul Afghanistan three years ago, not seen here. *** controversial incident where in an effort to enforce cemetery rules, an individual physically blocked Trump's team from accompanying him to part of the cemetery. N PR which first reported on the incident says it happened in section 60 of the cemetery where recent American casualties are buried. According to N PR, *** cemetery official tried to prevent Trump staffers from filming the former president there that *** physical and verbal altercation ensued and that the Trump staff quote, verbally abused and pushed the official aside *** report which the Harris Tim Wall's campaign pounced on. This is well sad. It's not surprising coming from the Trump team. I think it's part of what the American people have come to reject when it comes to Donald Trump. The Trump campaign disputes the account of *** physical altercation. Trump's campaign manager called the person who blocked Trump's team quote despicable today. Trump shared *** statement from the gold star families of those killed in the so called Abbey Gate attack in Kabul saying, quote, we had given our approval for President Trump's official videographer and photographer to attend the event. The cemetery issued *** statement saying federal law prohibits political or election related activities on its grounds. It is the final resting place and therefore it is hallowed and sacred ground. People go there reflect they dedicate time to their loved ones. The Trump campaign says the former president was there simply to honor those killed. But this comes after several other controversies surrounding Trump and the military. He recently said the presidential medal of freedom given to civilians was quote much better than the medal of honor. Everyone gets the congressional medal of honor that soldiers, they're either in very bad shape because they've been hit so many times by bullets or they're dead. Trump once said this about Republican senator and former Vietnam Pow, John mccain, he's not *** war hero. He's *** war years, he's *** war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren't captured. And the Atlantic reported that in 2018, Trump referred to American soldiers who died in world war, I as losers and suckers. Trump denied making those comments. But analysts say all of this has hurt him politically. It was harmful the way he talked on and off the record about veterans. He underperformed in key areas around military bases

An Arlington National Cemetery official was “abruptly pushed aside” during an altercation with former President Donald Trump’s staff during a wreath-laying ceremony but declined to press charges, an Army spokesman said Thursday.A statement said the cemetery employee was trying to make sure those participating in the wreath-laying ceremony earlier this week were following the rules.“This employee acted with professionalism and avoided further disruption,” the statement said. The incident was reported to the police, but the employee decided not to press charges. The Army said it considered the matter closed.Trump's campaign was warned about not taking photographs before the altercation at Arlington National Cemetery during a wreath-laying ceremony on Monday to honor service members killed in the Afghanistan War withdrawal, a defense official told The Associated Press on Wednesday.The defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter, said that the Trump campaign was warned about not taking photographs in Section 60 before their arrival and the altercation. Section 60 is the burial site for military personnel killed while fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq.Trump was at Arlington on Monday at the invitation of some of the families of the 13 service members who were killed in the Kabul airport bombing exactly three years prior.Cemetery officials had previously acknowledged that “an incident” had occurred and a report had been filed, but it did not address details of what had happened. They declined to share the report.“Federal law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, to include photographers, content creators or any other persons attending for purposes, or in direct support of a partisan political candidate’s campaign,” the cemetery officials’ statement said. “Arlington National Cemetery reinforced and widely shared this law and its prohibitions with all participants. We can confirm there was an incident, and a report was filed.”Trump’s spokesperson Steven Cheung said the Republican presidential candidate’s team was granted access to have a photographer. He contested the allegation that a campaign staffer pushed a cemetery official.“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.Chris LaCivita, a top Trump campaign adviser, noted that Trump was there at the invitation of the families of the service members who were killed in the airport bombing. The Trump campaign posted a message signed by relatives of two of the service members killed in the bombing that said “the president and his team conducted themselves with nothing but the utmost respect and dignity for all of our service members, especially our beloved children.”“For a despicable individual to physically prevent President Trump’s team from accompanying him to this solemn event is a disgrace and does not deserve to represent the hollowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery,” he said in a written statement, misspelling the word hallowed. “Whoever this individual is, spreading these lies are dishonoring the men and women of our armed forces.”Michael Tyler, a spokesperson for Trump’s Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, said the reports of the altercation were “what we’ve come to expect from Donald Trump and his team.”“Donald Trump is a person who wants to make everything all about Donald Trump," Tyler said on CNN on Wednesday. "He’s also somebody who has a history of demeaning and degrading military service members, those who have given the ultimate sacrifice.”Trump’s running mate JD Vance was asked about the incident Wednesday at a campaign event in Erie, Pennsylvania, and said that “apparently somebody at Arlington Cemetery, some staff member, had a little disagreement with somebody” and “the media has turned this into a national news story.”He instead tried to focus on the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, calling Harris “disgraceful” for not firing anyone for the deaths of service members in the terror attack. “She can go to hell,” Vance said.The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack.A Pentagon investigation into the deadly attack concluded that the suicide bomber acted alone and that the deaths of more than 170 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members were not preventable. But critics have slammed the Biden administration for the catastrophic evacuation, saying it should have started earlier than it did.

ARLINGTON, Va. —

A statement said the cemetery employee was trying to make sure those participating in the wreath-laying ceremony earlier this week were following the rules.

“This employee acted with professionalism and avoided further disruption,” the statement said. The incident was reported to the police, but the employee decided not to press charges. The Army said it considered the matter closed.

Trump's campaign was warned about not taking photographs before the altercation at Arlington National Cemetery during a wreath-laying ceremony on Monday to honor service members killed in the Afghanistan War withdrawal, a defense official told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter, said that the Trump campaign was warned about not taking photographs in Section 60 before their arrival and the altercation. Section 60 is the burial site for military personnel killed while fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Trump was at Arlington on Monday at the invitation of some of the families of the 13 service members who were killed in the Kabul airport bombing exactly three years prior.

Cemetery officials had previously acknowledged that “an incident” had occurred and a report had been filed, but it did not address details of what had happened. They declined to share the report.

“Federal law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, to include photographers, content creators or any other persons attending for purposes, or in direct support of a partisan political candidate’s campaign,” the cemetery officials’ statement said. “Arlington National Cemetery reinforced and widely shared this law and its prohibitions with all participants. We can confirm there was an incident, and a report was filed.”

Trump’s spokesperson Steven Cheung said the Republican presidential candidate’s team was granted access to have a photographer. He contested the allegation that a campaign staffer pushed a cemetery official.

“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.

Chris LaCivita, a top Trump campaign adviser, noted that Trump was there at the invitation of the families of the service members who were killed in the airport bombing. The Trump campaign posted a message signed by relatives of two of the service members killed in the bombing that said “the president and his team conducted themselves with nothing but the utmost respect and dignity for all of our service members, especially our beloved children.”

“For a despicable individual to physically prevent President Trump’s team from accompanying him to this solemn event is a disgrace and does not deserve to represent the hollowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery,” he said in a written statement, misspelling the word hallowed. “Whoever this individual is, spreading these lies are dishonoring the men and women of our armed forces.”

Michael Tyler, a spokesperson for Trump’s Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, said the reports of the altercation were “what we’ve come to expect from Donald Trump and his team.”

“Donald Trump is a person who wants to make everything all about Donald Trump," Tyler said on CNN on Wednesday. "He’s also somebody who has a history of demeaning and degrading military service members, those who have given the ultimate sacrifice.”

Trump’s running mate JD Vance was asked about the incident Wednesday at a campaign event in Erie, Pennsylvania, and said that “apparently somebody at Arlington Cemetery, some staff member, had a little disagreement with somebody” and “the media has turned this into a national news story.”

He instead tried to focus on the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, calling Harris “disgraceful” for not firing anyone for the deaths of service members in the terror attack. “She can go to hell,” Vance said.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack.

A Pentagon investigation into the deadly attack concluded that the suicide bomber acted alone and that the deaths of more than 170 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members were not preventable. But critics have slammed the Biden administration for the catastrophic evacuation, saying it should have started earlier than it did.

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