Trump asks Marines' families for help after incident at Arlington National Cemetery

Donald Trump released a statement on Tuesday attributed to the families of fallen Marines after his campaign team was accused of shoving and verbally abusing an officer at Arlington National Cemetery.

The former president attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the cemetery on Monday. A source told NPR that his staff got into an altercation with a cemetery official who tried to prevent them from taking photos and videos in Section 60, where American casualties are buried. The cemetery says federal law prohibits photography for political purposes in that area.

Trump visited the cemetery on the third anniversary of a suicide attack at Abbey Gate outside Kabul airport on August 26, 2021, that killed 13 U.S. soldiers during the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan.

On Tuesday, a statement from relatives of two Marines killed in the bombing was posted on Trump's personal Truth Social account and his campaign's “War Room” X account.

“We want to express our deepest gratitude and appreciation to President Donald J. Trump for his attendance at the recent Section 60 gathering to remember our children and their fallen brothers and sisters,” it said. “On the third anniversary of the Abbey Gate bombing, the President and his team conducted themselves with nothing but the utmost respect and dignity toward all of our service members, especially our beloved children.”

“We have given our permission for President Trump's official videographer and photographer to attend the event to ensure that these sacred moments of remembrance are respectfully captured and we can preserve these memories forever,” the statement continued. “We are deeply grateful to the President for taking the time to honor our children and for standing with us in our grief and offering us his unwavering support during such a difficult time. His compassion and respect meant more than words can express.”

The statement was attributed to the aunt, sister and mother-in-law of Sergeant Nicole Gee and the parents of Staff Sgt. Darin “Taylor” Hoover. Trump was photographed Monday smiling and giving a thumbs up at the graves of the two Marines.

According to an NPR source, Arlington authorities made it clear that only cemetery staff were allowed to take photos and videos in Section 60. However, a Trump campaign spokesperson insisted that his team had been “granted access to send a photographer there” and disputed the source's version of events surrounding the alleged scuffle.

“There was no physical altercation as described, and we are prepared to release footage if such defamatory claims are made,” Cheung said in a statement to The Daily Beast, without responding to requests for the footage.

“The fact is that a private photographer was allowed onto the premises and for some reason an unnamed individual, obviously suffering from a mental disorder, decided to physically block the path of members of President Trump's team during a very solemn ceremony,” Cheung added.

Arlington National Cemetery confirmed to NPR that an “incident” had occurred and a “report had been filed.”

“Federal law prohibits political campaigning or election-related activities at Army National Cemetery military cemeteries, including photographers, content creators, or others who are there for the purposes of or in direct support of a partisan political candidate's campaign,” it said. “Arlington National Cemetery has affirmed this law and its prohibitions and widely shared it with all participants.”

Liberal veterans group VoteVets said Trump should take action against his staff who were involved in the alleged incident. “If Donald Trump respects the fallen (which he doesn't), he will fire the people who fought with Arlington National Cemetery personnel,” the organization said in an X-post. Max Rose, a senior adviser to VoteVets, also accused Trump and his team of “using the military as a prop” and called the reported altercation “sick and tragic.”

Trump's past comments on the military have come under renewed scrutiny during his 2024 presidential campaign.

In June, Trump demanded that President Joe Biden's campaign remove an attack ad that quoted some of Trump's statements about veterans. The ad included his infamous statements calling fallen American soldiers “suckers” and “losers” – comments Trump allegedly made, according to Trump's former White House chief of staff, John Kelly. Trump denies making those remarks.

Earlier this month, Trump was criticized for saying the Presidential Medal of Freedom – a civilian award – was “much better” than the Medal of Honor because that military award is often given to recipients who have been seriously wounded or killed on the battlefield.