Arlington cemetery controversy deepens as Trump and Harris trade attacks

By CNN

Published August 31, 2024 3:06 pm

CNN

By Samantha Waldenberg, Kate Sullivan and Shania Shelton, CNN

(CNN) — Donald Trump on Saturday continued to defend his visit this week to Arlington National Cemetery amid mounting criticism, including from Vice President Kamala Harris, who said the former president “is unable to comprehend anything other than service to himself.”

Veterans, service members and their families “should be honored, never disparaged, and treated with nothing less than our highest respect and gratitude,” Harris wrote Saturday in a lengthy post on social media. “And it is my belief that someone who cannot meet this simple, sacred duty should never again stand behind the seal of the President of the United States of America.”

Trump has faced controversy over his Monday visit to the cemetery after a wreath-laying ceremony to honor the 13 US service members who were killed in the Kabul airport bombing in 2021. Trump was rebuked by the Army over his campaign’s use of video and images from the visit, which critics say ran afoul of rules prohibiting political activity on the sacred grounds. The Army has said participants in the ceremony “were made aware of federal laws” regarding political activity and an employee of the cemetery who “attempted to ensure adherence to these rules was abruptly pushed aside.”

After Harris’ statement, the former president highlighted the support of parents of service members killed in the airport bombing. In videos posted to Truth Social, the parents praised Trump while condemning Harris and President Joe Biden.

Jaclyn Schmitz, mother of Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz, said in her video, “Kamala, your statement is nothing more than a political spin to help you look better in your presidential campaign against Donald Trump. You have never walked a single day in our shoes. Our kids were murdered because of your administration, and you are partly to blame.”

Similarly, Coral Doolittle, mother of Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, slammed Harris and Biden as the people responsible for “murdering our kids.”

“They called the withdrawal in Afghanistan a success, and for us, it was just sadness and a disgrace,” Doolittle added.

Darin Hoover, father of Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, said in another video that “the events that happened on August 26, 2024, with President Trump at Arlington National Cemetery were solemn and in keeping with the reverence and respect that is given to all members of our military that are buried there.”

Hoover said while at the cemetery, “We asked the Trump team to take the videos, take the pictures, of our time there.”

Saturday’s statement marks the first time the vice president has directly addressed the controversy as she attempts to draw a contrast between herself and her rival ahead of their September 10 debate. Michael Tyler, the Harris campaign’s communications director, previously called the incident “pretty sad” in an interview on CNN but said it is what people have “come to expect from Donald Trump and his team.”

The Trump campaign on Saturday also sent out a statement from Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, an Army veteran and Trump ally, defending the former president and attacking Army Secretary Christine Wormuth.

Cotton, who was not present during Trump’s trip to the cemetery, said that “neither the families nor President Trump violated cemetery regulations or policies” and claimed the “political apparatchiks working for the incompetent secretary of the Army disrespected the wishes of these Gold Star families.”

Accounts of the incident on Monday have varied. Trump campaign officials have said an individual physically blocked the former president’s team from accompanying him during the visit, and a cemetery spokesperson confirmed to CNN “there was an incident” and a “report was filed.”

The campaign has insisted there were no violations of the law, while cemetery officials have said Trump’s team was told ahead of time to avoid political activity. Federal law prohibits political campaigning or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, according to a statement from Arlington National Cemetery obtained by CNN.

A video of the visit posted by the Trump campaign on TikTok earlier this week showed the former president walking through Arlington and visiting grave sites, with audio of him criticizing the Biden administration’s management of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.

NPR first reported there had been a “verbal and physical altercation” during the cemetery visit. A source with knowledge of the incident told the outlet that a cemetery official attempted to prevent Trump’s team from photographing and filming in the area where recent US casualties are buried. In response, Trump campaign staff “verbally abused and pushed the official aside,” according to NPR.

An Army spokesperson said while the incident was reported to the police department at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, the employee in question “decided not to press charges” so the Army “considers this matter closed.”

This story and headline have been updated with additional developments.

CNN’s Kate Sullivan contributed to this report.