The day after former President Donald Trump paid tribute to 13 US military personnel who died in battle at Arlington National Cemetery, NPR claims that Trump campaign staff got into an “altercation” with cemetery staff who prevented them from taking photos in a restricted area.
The media article Sources told the outlet that “two” Trump campaign staffers got into a “verbal and physical altercation” with cemetery officials who allegedly tried to prevent them from entering and photographing Section 60 of the cemetery.
Cemetery officials made it clear that Article 60 “means only cemetery staff are allowed to take photographs and videos,” a source told the media outlet.
In response to the allegations, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Chang explained that “a private photographer was allowed on the grounds,” adding that an “unnamed individual” “decided to physically disrupt members of President Trump's team” during the ceremony at the cemetery.
“There was no physical confrontation as described and we are prepared to make the footage public if such defamatory allegations are made,” Chang said in a statement. “The facts are that a private cameraman was allowed on the premises and, for some reason, an anonymous individual who clearly suffered from mental illness decided to physically disturb a member of President Trump's team in the middle of a very solemn ceremony.”
We were allowed to send a photographer there. https://t.co/s2E9lNdksK pic.twitter.com/dXbZ03hwzB
— Steven Cheung (@TheStevenCheung) August 27, 2024
in post On X, Chan shared a photo that read, “Only Trump is allowed to hire official photographers and videographers outside the main media pool.”
Trump's senior adviser Chris LaCivita also released a statement condemning the “despicable individuals” who physically prevented Trump campaign staff from “accompanying” the former president to the event.
“President Trump was invited by the Abbey Gate Gold Star Families to attend and honor their loved ones who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country,” LaCivita said in a statement. “The despicable individual who physically prevented President Trump's team from accompanying him to this solemn event is a disgrace and unworthy of representing the desolate grounds of Arlington National Cemetery. Whoever this individual is, who is spreading these lies, is dishonoring our nation's military personnel and disrespecting all who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country.”
“It was monumental,” Juelz added.
“Speaking for myself and my family, we truly welcome and appreciate having the video and photographs of our time with President Trump,” Juelz said in a statement. “This was monumental to us and we felt it was important to put on record. Has a President and so many veterans have ever come to pay their respects like this? It's a difficult day for us and we've been ignored for three years by this Administration. So for President Trump to take the time to remember our children at Arlington, to lay a wreath with us at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and then to have two of the most seriously wounded Marines, Tyler Vargas Andrews and Kelsey Reinhart, come to remember and honor Abby Gate 13 and those wounded that day, was truly an unprecedented show of presidential respect, gratitude and honor! He nearly lost his life serving our country! But it didn't end there. He took the time to come down to Section 60 and even took the time to lay flowers at the grave, to talk to us, to listen to all of our stories about Nicole's life, to actually listen to us, and make us all feel recognized and that someone cares!”
“I wish I had it all recorded, and I'm glad I did,” she added, for her family and the world, and praised Trump for showing “what a great president looks like.”
