By Dan Lamothe
(c) 2024 , The Washington Post
The Army on Thursday defended a staff member at Arlington National Cemetery who found herself in a brief confrontation with two men working for the Trump campaign, saying in a statement that she “acted with professionalism” and herreputation has been “unfairly attacked” by the former president’s representatives.
Cut through the 2024 election noise. Get The Campaign Moment newsletter.
The woman, who the Army has requested remain unidentified due to concerns about her safety, sought to prevent photography by the Trump campaign at Arlington National Cemetery, the final resting place of more than 400,000 U.S. troops, veterans and family members. Former president Donald Trump was on hand to mark the third anniversary of a suicide bombing during the evacuation of Afghanistan that killed 13 U.S. troops, and the families of two of those service members had invited him to accompany them to their loved one’s graves.
But cemetery staff had laid out guidelines in advance of the visit that included no official photography during the event in Section 60, a 14-acre plot where many veterans of recent wars are buried. After she sought to reinforce those guidelines, the people in Trump’s entourage “pushed by” her in an abrupt confrontation that prompted her to file a report with law enforcement.
The employee decided not to press charges, and the service considers the matter closed, Army officials said Thursday.
After news of the incident was first reported by NPR on Tuesday night, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung alleged without evidence that the cemetery employee had suffered a “mental health episode,” and Trump co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita called her a “despicable individual,” a point the Army addressed in its new statement.
“This incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that the ANC employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked,” the Army said. “ANC is a national shrine to the honored dead of the Armed Forces, and its dedicated staff will continue to ensure public ceremonies are conducted with the dignity and respect the nation’s fallen deserve.”