Trump defends conduct at Arlington cemetery: ‘I wasn’t doing it for publicity’

Former President Trump defended his earlier conduct at Arlington National Cemetery while at a campaign stop in Pennsylvania Friday, saying he was not just trying to get publicity for his appearance marking the anniversary of the 2021 Kabul airport attack that killed 13 U.S. service members.

Trump, at the event in Johnstown, Pa., said the family members of those killed during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan asked him to visit the cemetery as they honored their loved ones. He added that after the wreath-laying ceremony, the families also asked him to accompany them to the graves and take a picture with them.

“I wasn’t doing it for publicity. I get a lot of publicity,” the former president said. “I would like to get a lot less publicity. I’m the only guy that would hire a public relations agency to get less publicity.”

Trump also claimed the accusation that he was using the graves for public relations was “put out by the White House,” calling it a “disgrace” as he accused President Biden of being to blame for the service members’ deaths over his handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal. 

But the cemetery itself confirmed that an incident took place, and a report was filed as a result. NPR first reported that an official for the cemetery had a confrontation with Trump campaign staff members when the staff member tried to stop the team from photographing and filming a part of the cemetery known as Section 60 — where recently killed soldiers who served in Afghanistan and Iraq are buried. 

That section is also closed to press. 

A source told the outlet that the staffers pushed the official aside as they tried to stop them from entering. 

“Federal law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, to include photographers, content creators or any other persons attending for purposes or in direct support of a partisan political candidate’s campaign,” the cemetery said in a statement.

“Arlington National Cemetery reinforced and widely shared this law and its prohibitions with all participants. We can confirm there was an incident, and a report was filed,” it added, without providing additional details.

Steven Cheung, the Trump campaign communications director, denied that any physical altercation took place.

“The fact is that a private photographer was permitted on the premises and for whatever reason an unnamed individual, clearly suffering from a mental health episode, decided to physically block members of President Trump’s team during a very solemn ceremony,” he said after the reported incident.

Cheung also posted a message he received on social platform X that he said showed Trump was allowed to have a photographer and videographer present. 

The Trump campaign also shared a statement from family members of two of the service members that said, “The president and his team conducted themselves with nothing but the utmost respect and dignity for all of our service members, especially our beloved children.” 

The former president said at the rally that he’s “so happy” the family members took pictures of him and them together at the tombstones. He also praised those who defended him in saying they asked him to go to the graves with them. 

“They said we asked him to be here, and we want him to be there always,” Trump said. “And I just think that’s great, and we love you all.”