(CNN) — Former President Donald Trump’s campaign sparked new controversy this week with a visit to Arlington National Cemetery to highlight the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
A person physically prevented Trump’s team from accompanying him during Monday’s visit, two Trump campaign officials said. A cemetery spokesperson confirmed to CNN that there was “an incident” and a “report was filed,” but did not provide further details.
Trump visited the cemetery following a wreath-laying ceremony honoring the 13 U.S. service members killed at the Abbey Gate of Kabul airport. The Trump campaign posted a video of the former president’s visit on TikTok, commemorating the third anniversary of the tragedy.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump appeared to suggest that the incident was due to his campaign’s use of photos and shared a statement from the fallen soldiers’ families expressing their approval.
“We had given our consent for President Trump’s official videographer and photographer to attend the event to ensure that these sacred moments of remembrance were respectfully captured and that we can preserve these memories forever,” the families said.
But according to a statement from Arlington National Cemetery seen by CNN, federal law prohibits political campaigning or election-related activities at Army National Cemetery military cemeteries.
The cemetery said it had “reaffirmed this law and its prohibitions and made them widely available to all attendees,” which includes “photographers, content creators, and any other persons present for specific reasons or in direct support of a partisan political candidate’s campaign.”
Trump’s post followed a report by NPR of a “verbal and physical altercation.” A source familiar with the incident told the news outlet that a cemetery official tried to prevent Trump’s team from taking photos and filming in the area where the latest U.S. casualties are buried. In response, Trump’s campaign staff “verbally abused the official and pushed him aside,” according to NPR.
Trump spokesman Steven Cheung denied the claims of a physical altercation, but said an unnamed person decided to “physically block members of President Trump’s team during a very solemn ceremony.” Cheung suggested that Trump’s team had video to back up the claim.
Trump’s campaign manager Chris LaCivita shared a similar report with CNN, saying in a statement: “President Trump was there at the invitation of the Abbey Gate Gold Star Families to honor their loved ones who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.”
“For a despicable human to physically prevent President Trump’s team from accompanying him to this solemn event is disgraceful and undeserving of representing the hollowed (sic) grounds of Arlington National Cemetery. Whoever this person is spreading these lies dishonors the men and women of our armed forces and disrespects everyone who has paid the price to defend our country,” LaCivita continued.
Trump’s running mate, Senator JD Vance, dismissed the incident as a “minor disagreement” and said the families “invited (Trump) to be there and support them.”
“There is verifiable evidence that the campaign was allowed to have a photographer there,” Vance told reporters Wednesday in Erie, Pennsylvania, where he was campaigning. “There is verifiable evidence that the families of these poor people whose loved ones died three years ago at Abbey Road – excuse me, Abbey Gate – many of those 13 Americans were there with the president.”
Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia called on Arlington Cemetery officials to make public the report on the incidents during the visit. He expressed doubts about Trump’s intentions and called his team’s behavior “disgusting and disgraceful.”
“I call on Arlington Cemetery to publicly disclose all of the events that occurred yesterday so that the American people can ensure that the ground where our nation’s heroes are buried will not be desecrated by a man who has no concept of service and sacrifice,” the congressman said.
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