The U.S. Army has issued a public statement defending an employee at Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) who was pushed aside during a visit from former President Donald Trump. The Army emphasized that the employee acted professionally and was unfairly criticized.
Typically, the military refrains from commenting on political matters, but in a statement released on Thursday, they referenced a ceremony that took place on Monday, in which Trump participated in a wreath-laying event honoring 13 soldiers who were killed during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. The situation arose as Trump visited Section 60 of the cemetery, which contains the graves of fallen soldiers and is considered hallowed ground within the military community.
Federal legislation and Pentagon policies prohibit political activities in this section of the cemetery, yet videos taken by Trump’s campaign were utilized for advertisements. The Army’s statement noted, “An ANC employee, who was trying to ensure compliance with these rules, was suddenly pushed aside. This incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that ANC employees and their professionalism have been unfairly attacked.”
In a speech in Michigan on Thursday, Trump stated that the families of the fallen soldiers in Afghanistan had asked him to visit the cemetery and take photos with them. “They love me, and I love them,” Trump added. He used the third anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan to attempt to blame his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, for the chaotic pullout.
The event at Arlington has reignited concerns among some officials and experts that Trump might utilize the military for political purposes should he win a second term. The U.S. military is mandated to remain apolitical, loyal to the U.S. Constitution, and independent of any party or political movement.
While in office, Trump intervened to restore the rank of a Navy SEAL who had been convicted of posing with the body of an ISIS prisoner and threatened to use U.S. troops to quell protests across the country. Since leaving office, Trump has criticized certain military officials. “We really wouldn’t want to have anything to do with this,” said an anonymous military official. “But what happened at Arlington is unacceptable.”
The Army has stated that they consider the matter resolved since the employee did not file a complaint. A video uploaded to TikTok by Trump showed him near gravestones in Section 60 at the cemetery. Some veterans called Trump’s actions disrespectful. “This is not how a government representative or political candidate should conduct themselves on the hallowed ground of Section 60 at Arlington,” said retired Admiral James Stavridis on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Another social media post showed Trump with the family of Darin Taylor Hoover, a 31-year-old Marine who was among the 13 soldiers killed during the withdrawal from Afghanistan. They smiled and gave a thumbs-up over Hoover’s gravestone. Another headstone visible in the image belonged to Master Sergeant Andrew Marckesano, who died by suicide in 2020.