The U.S. Army says a female Arlington National Cemetery official was “abruptly pushed aside” by a campaign staffer for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump as she was trying to ensure that rules prohibiting political activities there were followed.
“This incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that the ANC employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked,” an Army spokesperson said in a written statement on Thursday.
The Trump campaign has pushed back, saying that the former president was granted permission to bring “campaign designated media” to Section 60 of the cemetery by Gold Star families.
“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,” Trump’s spokesperson Steven Cheung said earlier this week.
Another top Trump aide, Chris LaCivita, issued a written statement saying, “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 hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery. Whoever this individual is, spreading these lies are dishonoring the men and women of our armed forces.”
However, rules at the military cemeteries in Arlington, Virginia, “clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds,” the Army said. In other words, the Gold Star families who told the Trump campaign that media representatives could be there did not have the authority to allow campaign media to film the event.
The Army says the Trump campaign and participants in the August 26 ceremony had been made aware of the relevant federal laws before the incident in which the cemetery employee was pushed.
“Consistent with the decorum expected at ANC, this employee acted with professionalism and avoided further disruption. The incident was reported to the JBM-HH (Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall) police department, but the employee subsequently decided not to press charges,” the Army said.
The Army now considers the matter closed.
Arlington National Cemetery hosts public wreath laying ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for individuals and groups who submit requests to do so in advance.
“ANC conducts nearly 3,000 such public ceremonies a year without incident,” the Army spokesperson said. “Its dedicated staff will continue to ensure public ceremonies are conducted with the dignity and respect the nation’s fallen deserve.”
