Donald Trump’s allies and surrogates are quickly falling in line to defend the former president’s controversial visit to Arlington National Cemetery after Kamala Harris accused the GOP candidate of disrespecting “sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt.”
During a Sunday appearance on CNN’s State of the Union, former Democratic congresswoman and current Trump acolyte Tulsi Gabbard described Trump's trip to the cemetery—and Section 60 specifically— as a “very grave and somber remembrance and honoring of those lives that were lost.”
The Republican presidential nominee was invited to a wreath laying ceremony by the family of fallen Marine Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover to mark the third anniversary of a suicide bombing at Kabul airport during the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in 2021. Hoover was one of 13 American service-members killed in the attack on Abbey Gate at the airport's perimeter, where evacuees were being processed.
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Trump was accompanied by a photographer and other staffers. He was pictured giving a thumbs up and recording footage that was later shared on social media, behavior that upset other Gold Star families.
(The former president took to TruthSocial on Sunday to defend these actions, posting a statement from the families that invited him to the cemetery which said they had asked his campaign to take photos and videos.)
Electioneering and other partisan political activity at Arlington is against federal law; the former president’s campaign was made aware of this in advance of their visit. “Arlington National Cemetery reinforced and widely shared this law and its prohibitions with all participants,” a spokesperson for the memorial said.
Gabbard, however, claimed Trump campaign was “approved to bring a camera there to document this historic and momentous day.” She did not specify who gave the alleged permission.
Dodging questions about disgruntled families and cemetery policies, the former lawmaker pivoted to criticizing Trump’s opponent. “I know President Trump wanted to share (the anniversary) with others, especially given the fact that President Biden and Harris, I heard, were invited by some of these family members. They not only didn’t come, they didn’t even respond to that invitation,” she claimed.
Neither Harris nor Biden have addressed allegations that they were invited to the ceremony on Aug. 26.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) echoed Gabbard’s criticisms, slamming the Vice President—and current presidential candidate—for “politicizing” Trump’s visit to Arlington, and pinning the blame on her for the soldiers’ deaths.
When the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, the Biden administration was following a withdrawal commitment and deadline negotiated by the Trump administration with the Taliban.
“She was the last person in the room advising Joe Biden, and yet they’re criticizing Donald Trump's invitation from those families at Arlington,” Stefanik said on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures. “Kamala Harris is a disgrace, and we need to make sure she never becomes commander in chief.”
