A cynical photo op for Donald Trump’s campaign is spiraling into a disaster. As more details of his campaign’s disgraceful behavior on Monday at Arlington National Cemetery become available, some veterans are “furious” and demanding an apology. But instead of offering one, Trump’s team is making things worse. On Wednesday, in violation of federal law, his campaign posted a TikTok video promoting his visit.
It’s “exactly what military officials tried to prevent,” The Washington Post reported. “The use of the footage marked a flagrant violation of the law against partisan actions at military cemeteries, defense officials said.”
And much more about what happened at Arlington has come to light:
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Members of Trump’s team had a verbal and physical altercation with a member of the cemetery staff who has now been identified as a woman.
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The woman was reportedly pushed aside by a large male member of Trump’s campaign staff when she tried to prevent the campaign from taking cameras into Arlington’s specially protected Section 60 area, where recently deceased veterans are buried.
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In advance of the visit, Trump’s team was told personal aides could come but not campaign staff. They came anyway.
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Trump’s team was expressly told that “photographers, content creators or any other persons” attending for a political campaign were not allowed, according to a statement from the cemetery. His team brought them anyway.
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In statements after the event, Trump’s team insulted the cemetery official repeatedly, saying that she was “suffering from a mental health episode,” “despicable,” and “a disgrace.”
Trump and his team disrespected America’s most hallowed military cemetery, ignoring its rules, shoving and insulting a woman on staff, and turning it into a backdrop for a campaign video in open violation of federal law.
And if you can believe it, it gets worse.
According to The New York Times, the woman who was assaulted by members of Trump’s campaign has reportedly declined to press charges. And the reason she declined is as distressing as everything else about this story.
Military officials said that the cemetery worker feared that pursuing the matter with the authorities at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Virginia, which has jurisdiction over the cemetery, could subject her to retaliation from Trump supporters. [Trump campaign spokesman Steven] Cheung said in a statement on Wednesday that “that is ridiculous and sounds like someone who has Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
On Wednesday, Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, attempted to defend the altercation, dismissively saying 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.”
Repeating statements from Trump’s campaign, Vance claimed that there is “verifiable evidence” that the Trump campaign was allowed to have a photographer present, though the best evidence he provided was that Trump was invited by family members of some of those who died at Abbey Gate during the evacuation of forces from Afghanistan. (Vance initially referred to it as “Abbey Road”—i.e., the famous recording studio—before correcting himself.)
No matter how many times Trump’s team makes this claim, permission from a handful of families does not allow them to violate cemetery rules. It certainly doesn’t allow them to violate federal law.
One clear reason that camera use is restricted in military cemeteries—and why footage is not to be used in campaign ads—is that it doesn’t affect the sanctity of just one or two graves. It affects the families of many other fallen veterans who are buried in the area.
And on Wednesday, the family of Green Beret Master Sgt. Andrew Marckesano expressed concern at how his grave marker ended up being a part of Trump’s campaign stop. Marckesano earned Silver and Bronze Stars for his service, and he happens to be buried beside one of the veterans whose families invited Trump to visit. Marckesano’s family gave no such invitation, but now this solemn reminder of their loss is being splashed across Trump’s campaign videos and photographs.
“[A]ccording to our conversation with Arlington National Cemetery,” Marckesano’s sister wrote, “the Trump campaign staffers did not adhere to the rules that were set in place for this visit to Staff Sergeant [Darin] Hoover’s gravesite in Section 60, which lays directly next to my brother’s grave.”
“We hope that those visiting this sacred site understand that these were real people who sacrificed for our freedom and that they are honored and respected accordingly,” she added.
No one is upset that Trump went to Arlington. He’s welcome to do so. And no one is bothered by him going with family members to visit graves in Section 60.
What’s upsetting—and illegal—is using Arlington, or any other military cemetery, for a campaign event. And that’s exactly what Trump’s team did.
There is no doubt that his campaign staff planned this event for campaign purposes. They released an email on Monday touting Trump’s visit to Arlington and claiming that Vice President Kamala Harris disparaged the military by not attending. The TikTok video released on Wednesday features narration by Trump criticizing the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. “We didn’t lose one person in 18 months,” Trump says in the video. “And then they took over, and that disaster, the leaving of Afghanistan.”
Retired Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, whose father is buried in Section 60, called Trump’s actions at the cemetery “nauseating.”
"They see no issue bringing partisan politics there, even if it means getting into physical altercations with cemetery staff," Eaton told USA Today. "I truly cannot think of something more repugnant than starting a political fracas on land where Gold Star families mourn. Someone who would do that should never be Commander in Chief.”
Trump and his staff also see no issue in assaulting and demeaning a woman who was attempting to enforce federal law and protect the dignity of a site that serves as the final resting place for over 400,000 men and women who served this country.
The pretense that what Trump did was somehow supporting veterans is a twisted, upside-down version of the truth. Trump’s actions show that he has no respect for the hundreds of thousands of veterans buried at Arlington, or for their families, or for the workers who care for this sacred space.
“You guys in the media, you're acting like Donald Trump filmed a TV commercial at a gravesite,” Vance said at a Pennsylvania campaign stop on Wednesday.
Which is exactly what Trump did.
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