WASHINGTON –
The U.S. Army on Thursday defended an Arlington National Cemetery employee who was pushed aside during a visit by former president Donald Trump, saying that she acted professionally and was being unfairly attacked.
The military rarely comments on political matters and the statement did not explicitly mention Trump or his campaign, but it made reference to a Monday ceremony.
Trump, the Republican candidate in the Nov. 5 presidential election, visited the cemetery that day and took part in a wreath-laying ceremony honouring the 13 servicemembers killed during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
He also visited Section 60 of the cemetery, where troops are buried and is considered hallowed ground in the military.
Federal law and Pentagon policies do not allow political activities in that section of the cemetery, but videos were taken by Trump’s campaign.
“An ANC (Arlington National Cemetery) employee who attempted to ensure adherence to these rules was abruptly pushed aside,” the Army statement said.
“This incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that the ANC employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked,” it added.
Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung had said: “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 vice-presidential running mate JD Vance, at a campaign stop in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, brushed off the criticism and said the Trump campaign had permission to have a photographer present during Trump’s stop at the cemetery.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Howard Goller)