As the week got underway, Donald Trump probably thought going to Arlington National Cemetery would be a good idea. The former president, despite his awful record related to respecting U.S. troops and veterans, appeared eager on Monday to exploit the third anniversary of a terrorist attack in Afghanistan that killed 13 U.S. service members and more than 150 Afghans.
As a result, the Republican nominee attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which was quickly followed by a thumbs-up photo-op at a gravestone in Section 60 of the cemetery, where many service members killed in Afghanistan and Iraq are buried.
At that point, the story was already problematic. On Tuesday, however, the matter took a turn for the worse amid reports of an “incident” involving Trump aides and someone who worked at the cemetery. A day later, the controversy continued to intensify. NBC News reported:
Former President Donald Trump’s campaign is playing down reports of an altercation during his visit to Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, a move that signals its concern about potential political fallout from the incident.
Republicans might’ve hoped this scandal would be a one-day story. I have some bad news for them.
It’s a story with a surprising number of moving parts, so let’s summarize where things stand.
* There’s no real doubt that there was some kind of incident on Monday — both the Trump campaign and Arlington officials have acknowledged as much — but a New York Times report said a woman who works at the cemetery, and who filed an incident report with the military authorities, declined to press charges. According to the report, which has not been independently verified by MSNBC or NBC News, the official feared “retaliation” from Trump’s followers.
* The same Times report highlighted concerns from one family, whose loved one served eight combat tours and is buried at Arlington, that believes the Trump campaign filmed his gravesite without permission.
* The Associated Press reported that the Trump campaign received warnings about not taking photographs in Section 60. If that report is accurate, the Republican operation did not heed those warnings.
* Mark Esper, who served as Trump’s Defense secretary, called for an investigation into the incident. Similarly, Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia issued a written statement calling for the release of documents related to Monday’s incident.
* USA Today published a report on veterans who were not pleased with Trump’s actions. The article quoted retired Major General Paul Eaton, a senior adviser at VoteVets, who called the campaign’s actions at the cemetery “nauseating” and “repugnant.”
* As feared, Team Trump has already released a campaign video featuring footage of the GOP candidate’s visit to Arlington.
* Did the Trump campaign’s actions this week violate the law? A Washington Post report reviewed the relevant details.
* Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance said Vice President Kamala Harris “can go to hell” for criticizing Trump’s cemetery appearance, despite the fact that Harris hadn’t actually made any such criticisms. The Ohio senator later declined to say whether presidential candidates should have to abide by federal law prohibiting campaigns from filming at gravesites.
Where will the controversy go next? Watch this space.
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