Former President Trump on Friday defended his actions at Arlington National Cemetery while campaigning in Pennsylvania, saying his appearance at the cemetery marking the anniversary of the 2021 Kabul airport attack that killed 13 U.S. soldiers was not just a publicity stunt.
Speaking at a ceremony in Johnston, Pennsylvania, Trump said the families of those killed during the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan had asked to visit the graves to remember their loved ones, adding that after the wreath-laying ceremony, the families had asked him to accompany them to the graves and take photographs with them.
“I didn't do this for the publicity. I get a lot of publicity,” the former president said. “I'd like to get less publicity. I'm probably the only person who would hire a PR firm to get less publicity.”
Trump also claimed accusations that he was using the grave for a public relations stunt were “spun by the White House” and blamed President Biden for the deaths of soldiers over his handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal, calling it a “disgrace.”
However, the cemetery acknowledged that the incident occurred, and a report was filed as a result. NPR First reported Cemetery officials and Trump campaign staff confronted the team when they tried to photograph a part of the cemetery known as Section 60, where soldiers killed in action in Afghanistan and Iraq are buried.
This section is also closed to the press.
A source told the media that officials pushed staff away in an attempt to prevent them from entering.
“Federal law prohibits political campaigning or election-related activity on Army National Military Cemeteries, including photographers, content creators or others visiting in direct support of the campaigns of partisan political candidates,” the cemetery said in a statement.
“Arlington National Cemetery ensured that this law and its prohibitions were fully communicated to all participants. We can confirm that an incident occurred and a report has been filed,” it added, without providing further details.
Trump campaign communications director Steven Chang denied any physical altercation took place.
“The facts are that a private photographer was allowed on the grounds and, for some reason, an anonymous individual, who clearly suffered from a mental illness, decided to physically disrupt a member of President Trump's team in the middle of a very solemn ceremony,” he said after the reported incident.
Chan also message He said he received messages on social media platform X indicating that Trump had been allowed to have photographers and videographers present.
The Trump campaign also released statements from the families of the two service members, saying “the President and his team acted with the utmost respect and dignity toward all service members, especially their beloved children.”
The former president said at the rally he was “very pleased” that family members had posed for photos with him at the gravestone, and praised his defenders for asking them to visit the grave with him.
“They say we asked him to come here and we want him to be here all the time,” Trump said, “and I think that's great and we love you guys.”
