Trump's Arlington Cemetery dispute escalates
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Gold Star family members with former President Trump and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (right.) Photo: Utah Governor's Office via X
The Trump campaign tells Axios it's "weighing options" on whether to release its footage of an altercation with Arlington National Cemetery officials.
Why it matters: The cemetery is sacred ground for hundreds of thousands of American families. A cemetery worker confronted former President Trump's team on Monday to enforce rules against using the setting for political purposes. The events that followed are contested.
The latest: An Army spokesperson confirmed in a statement Thursday that an employee was "abruptly pushed aside" when trying to "ensure adherence" to the site's rules.
- "Participants in the August 26th ceremony and the subsequent Section 60 visit were made aware of federal laws, Army regulations and DoD policies, which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds," the statement continued.
- The spokesperson added, "the incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that the ANC employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked."
- The statement also confirmed the employee decided not to press charges, adding that the matter is now closed.
Driving the news: Cemetery officials "told Trump's team that he could come in his personal capacity and bring personal aides, but not campaign staff," the Washington Post reports.
- The cemetery employee "tried to enforce the rules as provided to her by blocking Trump's team from bringing cameras to the graves of U.S. service members killed in recent years," the Post adds. "A larger male campaign aide insisted the camera was allowed and pushed past the cemetery employee, leaving her shocked."
- The cemetery worker who confronted Trump aides won't press charges because she fears pursuing the matter could subject her to retaliation from Trump supporters, the N.Y. Times reports.
- The Trump campaign says it had permission for a photographer.
Context: A cemetery spokesperson tells Axios federal law "prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, to include photographers."
- The cemetery "reinforced and widely shared this law and its prohibitions with all participants" for Trump's visit, per an emailed statement.
Zoom in: A defense official told AP that the Trump campaign was warned not to take photos in Section 60, the burial site for military personnel killed while fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq.
- Trump was at Arlington at the invitation of some of the Gold Star families of the 13 service members who were killed in the Kabul airport bombing exactly three years prior.
- Photos that spread on social media showing Trump smiling at gravesites with the families of fallen service members added to the scrutiny surrounding the visit.
Go deeper: Utah Gov. Spencer Cox's fundraising email adds scrutiny to Trump's Arlington visit.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional comment from the Army.
