An Arlington National Cemetery official was 鈥渁bruptly pushed aside鈥� during an altercation with former President Donald Trump鈥檚 staff during a wreath-laying ceremony but declined to press charges, an Army spokesman said Thursday.
A statement said the cemetery employee was trying to make sure those participating in the wreath-laying ceremony earlier this week were following the rules.
鈥淭his employee acted with professionalism and avoided further disruption,鈥� the statement said. The incident was reported to the police, but the employee decided not to press charges. The Army said it considered the matter closed.
Trump's campaign was warned about not taking photographs before the altercation at Arlington National Cemetery during a on Monday to honor service members killed in the Afghanistan War withdrawal, a defense official told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter, said that the Trump campaign was warned about not taking photographs in Section 60 before their arrival and the altercation. Section 60 is the burial site for military personnel killed while fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Trump was at Arlington on Monday at the invitation of some of the families of the 13 service members who were exactly three years prior.
Cemetery officials had previously acknowledged that 鈥渁n incident鈥� had occurred and a report had been filed, but it did not address details of what had happened. They declined to share the report.
鈥淔ederal law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, to include photographers, content creators or any other persons attending for purposes, or in direct support of a partisan political candidate鈥檚 campaign,鈥� the cemetery officials鈥� statement said. 鈥淎rlington National Cemetery reinforced and widely shared this law and its prohibitions with all participants. We can confirm there was an incident, and a report was filed.鈥�
Trump鈥檚 spokesperson Steven Cheung said the Republican presidential candidate鈥檚 team was granted access to have a photographer. He contested the allegation that a campaign staffer pushed a cemetery official.
鈥淭he 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鈥檚 team during a very solemn ceremony,鈥� he said.
Chris LaCivita, a top Trump campaign adviser, noted that Trump was there at the invitation of the families of the service members who were killed in the airport bombing. The Trump campaign posted a message signed by relatives of two of the service members killed in the bombing that said 鈥渢he president and his team conducted themselves with nothing but the utmost respect and dignity for all of our service members, especially our beloved children.鈥�
鈥淔or a despicable individual to physically prevent President Trump鈥檚 team from accompanying him to this solemn event is a disgrace and does not deserve to represent the hollowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery,鈥� he said in a written statement, misspelling the word hallowed. 鈥淲hoever this individual is, spreading these lies are dishonoring the men and women of our armed forces.鈥�
Michael Tyler, a spokesperson for Trump鈥檚 Democratic opponent, Vice President , said the reports of the altercation were 鈥渨hat we鈥檝e come to expect from Donald Trump and his team.鈥�
鈥淒onald Trump is a person who wants to make everything all about Donald Trump," Tyler said on CNN on Wednesday. "He鈥檚 also somebody who has a history of demeaning and degrading military service members, those who have given the ultimate sacrifice.鈥�
Trump鈥檚 running mate JD Vance was asked about the incident Wednesday at a campaign event in Erie, Pennsylvania, and said that 鈥渁pparently somebody at Arlington Cemetery, some staff member, had a little disagreement with somebody鈥� and 鈥渢he media has turned this into a national news story.鈥�
He instead tried to focus on the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, calling Harris 鈥渄isgraceful鈥� for not firing anyone for the deaths of service members in the terror attack. 鈥淪he can go to hell,鈥� Vance said.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack.
A concluded that the suicide bomber acted alone and that the deaths of more than 170 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members were not preventable. But critics have slammed the Biden administration for the catastrophic evacuation, saying it should have started earlier than it did.
Adriana Gomez Licon And Tara Copp, The Associated Press
