Trump calls Arlington cemetery incident ‘a made up story’

Former President Trump labeled the reported confrontation at Arlington National Cemetery last week as a “made up story.”

“There was no conflict or ‘fighting’ at Arlington National Cemetery last week. It was a made up story by Comrade Kamala and her misinformation squad,” he wrote Tuesday in a post on Truth Social. “She made it all up to make up for the fact that she and Sleepy Joe have BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS for the INCOMPETENT AFGHANISTAN Withdrawal — THE MOST EMBARRASSING DAY IN U.S. HISTORY!!!”

NPR first reported that an official for the cemetery had a confrontation with Trump campaign staff members who were filming and taking photos in Section 60, a restricted area where recently killed soldiers who served in Afghanistan and Iraq are buried.

The Army said last week that the Arlington National Cemetery staffer was trying to enforce rules prohibiting political activities on cemetery grounds when they were pushed aside. The Trump campaign has pushed back on the reporting, saying no physical altercation took place and that they had permission to film there.

Trump said in the post that Vice President Harris and President Biden should have been at the cemetery as well. 

“They should have been at Arlington, not on a beach or studying for a Debate. Thank you to my friends, the GREAT GOLD STAR FAMILIES, for revealing the TRUTH OF A BEAUTIFUL DAY OF HONOR,” he wrote, referring to the families of the 13 service members killed during the Afghanistan withdrawal in 2021. “Could not have been a nicer moment-And there were no fights or problems, only in the heads of those that are destroying our Country!”

NBC News reported, however, that the families did not invite Biden or Harris to the cemetery to commemorate the anniversary of the attack, citing a White House official and a Harris aide.

Trump also discussed his visit to the cemetery during a Friday campaign stop in Pennsylvania, saying he was not just trying to get publicity for his appearance marking the anniversary of the Kabul airport attack.

“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.”

He also noted he was invited to visit the cemetery and take photos with the families of those killed during the withdrawal.

The Trump campaign shared a statement last week 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 Hill has reached out to the Harris campaign for comment.

Updated at 1:30 p.m. EDT.