Kamala Harris Criticizes Trump Over Arlington Cemetery Dispute

Vice President Kamala Harris has spoken out against former President Donald Trump following a recent controversy involving his campaign at Arlington National Cemetery. She stated that the military burial site is “not a place for politics.”

Earlier in the week, the U.S. Army reported that a Trump campaign staff member “abruptly pushed aside” a cemetery employee who was trying to remind the team about rules against filming in the cemetery.

The event, which Trump attended on Monday, was held to honor 13 U.S. military service members who lost their lives during the chaotic American withdrawal from Afghanistan three years ago. The Trump campaign has disputed the cemetery's account of the incident, stating that they were invited by the families of the fallen soldiers.

Ms. Harris accused Trump of “disrespecting sacred ground” for what she described as a political stunt. This was the first time Ms. Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, commented on the controversy, doing so in a social media post on Saturday. She emphasized that during her time as Vice President, she had visited the cemetery several times and would never use it for political purposes.

“If there’s one thing we can all agree on as Americans, it’s that our veterans, military families, and service members should be honored, never disparaged, and treated with the utmost respect and gratitude,” Ms. Harris said. “In my opinion, anyone who cannot fulfill this simple, sacred duty should never again hold the office of the President of the United States.”

At a campaign rally in Michigan on Thursday, Trump responded to the criticism, stating that he was asked to pose for a photo at the site by the families of the soldiers who had died. “I go there, they ask me to have a picture, and they say I was campaigning,” Trump said. “I get plenty of publicity. I don’t need it.”

On Sunday, the Trump campaign released a statement from the Gold Star military families who invited him to the event, affirming that the former president was there to honor their relatives' sacrifice. The families also criticized Ms. Harris, accusing her of “disgracefully twisting this sacred moment into a political ploy.”

Meanwhile, Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, used the controversy to criticize the Biden administration’s handling of the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, saying that Ms. Harris "can go to hell." Vance accused Harris of failing to do her job, which he claims led to the deaths of the 13 service members.

NPR previously reported that two members of Trump’s campaign staff verbally abused and pushed the cemetery worker aside when she tried to intervene. Federal law prohibits political campaigning at the cemetery, and the U.S. Army stated that participants were warned of the rules in advance.

A U.S. Army spokesperson described the incident as “unfortunate,” adding that it was also unfortunate that the cemetery employee's professionalism had been unfairly attacked. The Trump campaign denied that any physical altercation occurred and stated that they are “prepared to release footage if such defamatory claims are made.”

House Democrats have since requested a report from the U.S. Army on the incident, seeking a “full account” of what transpired.