A spokesman for Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign has described a reported altercation between former President Donald Trump's campaign aides and an Arlington National Cemetery official as "pretty sad," though not unexpected from the Trump team. According to NPR, the incident occurred when Trump, accompanied by cameras and a large entourage, arrived at a wreath-laying ceremony in an area where recent U.S. military casualties are buried. Trump's campaign staff documented the visit and later used the footage in a video attacking Harris. Arlington National Cemetery confirmed that "an incident" took place and emphasized that "federal law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, including photographers, content creators, or any other individuals attending for such purposes."
Arlington National Cemetery confirmed on Tuesday that an "incident" had taken place and reiterated that federal law prohibits political campaign activities, including photography and filming, within national military cemeteries.
NPR reported that on Monday, two members of Trump's campaign were involved in a verbal and physical confrontation with an Arlington official. This occurred as Trump, accompanied by photographers and an entourage, arrived for a wreath-laying ceremony in an area dedicated to recent U.S. military casualties. The official reportedly tried to prevent Trump’s staff from filming in this section during a ceremony marking the third anniversary of the death of 13 U.S. service members in a Kabul airport bombing.
Tyler criticized Trump, stating, “Donald Trump is someone who wants to make everything about himself and has a history of demeaning military service members. This is part of what the American people have come to reject—the toxic brand of politics, MAGA extremism, and a self-serving approach to leadership.”
In a statement, Arlington National Cemetery emphasized that federal law forbids political activities in military cemeteries and confirmed that a report on the incident was filed. The cemetery also reminded that its media policy restricts filming and photography to avoid any implication of endorsement or partisan political purposes, in accordance with the Hatch Act and related regulations.
Despite these restrictions, Trump's campaign has shared images and videos of the visit on social media, including a TikTok video showing him at Arlington next to the graves of two Marines who died in the Kabul attack.
Dan Scavino, a senior advisor to Trump’s campaign, shared a video of Trump at Arlington on the social media platform X.
In response to the reports, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung denied any physical confrontation occurred. Cheung stated on Tuesday night, “We are prepared to release footage if defamatory claims are made.” He further explained that “a private photographer was allowed on the premises, and for reasons unknown, an unnamed individual, clearly experiencing a mental health issue, chose to physically obstruct Trump’s team during a solemn ceremony.”
Trump campaign senior advisor Chris LaCivita criticized an Arlington official on Wednesday, accusing them of undermining the cemetery’s dignity by misrepresenting what was intended as a solemn and respectful event.
In an interview with NBC News, LaCivita argued that the Harris campaign and other critics are attempting to divert attention from the fact that Trump was the only commander-in-chief present at Arlington on August 26th. He noted that President Joe Biden, who was in office when the service members were killed in Kabul, did not visit the cemetery on the anniversary of their deaths, nor did Vice President Kamala Harris.
LaCivita, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, also shared images of Trump’s visit on social media. On Tuesday night, he posted a photo of Trump with family members of fallen military personnel at Arlington, accompanied by a statement from relatives of two Marines who died in the Kabul attack, Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover and Sgt. Nicole Gee. The statement read, “We had given our approval for President Trump’s official videographer and photographer to attend the event, ensuring these sacred moments of remembrance were respectfully captured and so we can cherish these memories forever.”