Donald Trump has confronted backlash for utilizing Arlington Nationwide Cemetery as a photograph op.
Aug. 28 2024, Printed 1:30 p.m. ET
Donald Trump has been accused of utilizing the hallowed grounds of Arlington Nationwide Cemetery as a political photograph op.
The ex-president has confronted backlash for smiling and giving a thumbs-up for pictures on the gravesite of fallen troopers who had been killed within the 2021 withdrawal of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Including to the scrutiny of the “disgraceful” go to, considered one of Trump’s aides reportedly bought right into a bodily altercation with a cemetery official who tried to cease the marketing campaign from filming and taking pictures within the space often called Part 60.
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Trump visited Arlington Nationwide Cemetery on the third anniversary of the terrorist assault at Kabul Airport – the place 13 U.S. troopers had been killed.
Trump, 78, was in Arlington, Virginia, to put a wreath on the third anniversary of the terrorist assault at Abbey Gate at Kabul Airport, throughout which 13 U.S. troopers had been killed.
After pictures and movies of the occasion went viral on social media, customers shortly observed Trump’s “uncommon” demeanor through the solemn ceremony.
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Former lawmakers and social media customers slammed Trump for grinning and doing a thumbs-up at a soldier’s gravesite.
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Former Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger, who served as a lieutenant colonel within the Air Nationwide Guard, remarked on Trump’s pose – and identified the irony of his presence on the ceremony.
Kinzinger wrote: “Smiling thumbs up on the grave is uncommon, to say the least. By no means thoughts that Trump negotiated the ‘deal’ which explains we left.”
Although Trump has repeatedly tried accountable the withdrawal of troops on Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, it was his administration who negotiated the deal to tug U.S. troops out of Afghanistan earlier than he left workplace.
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Trump was branded “disgraceful” over the pictures on X.
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Anti-MAGA group The Lincoln Mission additionally shared a photograph of Trump with the household of a fallen solider posing on the gravesite on X.
Within the photograph, Trump may be seen in his standard navy blue swimsuit and pink tie and grinning from ear-to-ear whereas flashing a thumbs-up to the digicam.
The Lincoln Mission captioned the put up: “Trump at present with thumbs up on the grave of a soldier. Disgraceful.”
One person replied: “Trump is VILE.”
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As social media customers criticized the 2024 Republican presidential nominee for turning the ceremony into a photograph op, information broke two members of Trump’s marketing campaign had been concerned in an altercation with Arlington Nationwide Cemetery workers.
A supply with direct information of the incident stated the official tried to cease the marketing campaign from filming and taking pictures in Part 60 the place solely approved cemetery workers are allowed to take action.
Upon the official trying to stop the marketing campaign from coming into Part 60 to movie and take pictures, Trump marketing campaign aides verbally attacked and pushed the cemetery official, in response to NPR.
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Two Trump marketing campaign aides had been additionally stated to be concerned in a bodily altercation with an Arlington Nationwide Cemetery official.
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Steven Cheung, the Trump marketing campaign’s spokesperson, denied experiences of the altercation.
Cheung stated in an announcement: “The very fact is {that a} personal photographer was permitted on the premises and for no matter motive an unnamed particular person, clearly affected by a psychological well being episode, determined to bodily block members of President Trump’s staff throughout a really solemn ceremony.”
Regardless of Cheung’s denial, Arlington Nationwide Cemetery introduced it “can affirm there was an incident” and “a report was filed”.
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Arlington Nationwide Cemetery added: “Federal regulation prohibits political marketing campaign or election-related actions inside Military Nationwide Navy Cemeteries, to incorporate photographers, content material creators or every other individuals attending for functions, or in direct help of a partisan political candidate’s marketing campaign.
“Arlington Nationwide Cemetery strengthened and broadly shared this regulation and its prohibitions with all members.”
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