Trump faces new criticism after posting a TikTok campaign video of a controversial visit to Arlington National Cemetery

Donald Trump is facing a new wave of negative reactions over his controversial incident at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday after he posted a campaign video on TikTok containing footage of the visit.

This week, the former president drew the ire of veterans, military groups and military families after he was caught posing with his thumb raised and smiling at a soldier's grave and two of his campaign staff were accused of verbally abusing and shoving a cemetery official.

Now Trump is under fire for turning the anniversary of the deaths of fallen American soldiers into a campaign video that social media users called “disgusting.”

The video shows clips of Trump walking past graves and through the cemetery and placing his hand on his heart in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where he also lays a wreath.

He is also seen laying flowers on the graves of the 13 soldiers killed in the 2021 terrorist attack at Abbey Gate outside Kabul airport and posing for photographs with their families.

The video, accompanied by viral celebratory music, features a voiceover from the former president describing the tragic loss of 13 American lives.

“We lost 13 great people. What a terrible day that was,” he said, before turning on President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, blaming them for the chaotic withdrawal.

“We didn't lose a single person in 18 months,” he says. “And then they took over this disaster – the withdrawal from Afghanistan.”

Trump's visit immediately sparked a strong reaction after he was photographed smiling and giving a thumbs up next to the graves of fallen soldiers.

His campaign was then again controversially discussed when NPR initially reported that a physical altercation had occurred between two of his employees and a cemetery official.

Arlington National Cemetery confirmed in a statement to The Independent that “there was an incident and a report was filed.”

A source said NPR that the cemetery official tried to prevent the two campaign workers from filming and taking photographs in a section of the cemetery called Section 60, where the most recent U.S. victims are buried.

Arlington officials reportedly made it clear to the Trump campaign team in advance that only cemetery employees were authorized to take photographs or film in the area.

However, when the officer tried to prevent Trump's team from entering Section 60, the staff allegedly verbally abused him and pushed him aside, the source said.

The New York Times has now named Trump's press secretary Steven Cheung and his co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita as the two campaign staffers involved in the incident.

Upon request from The Independent When the story came to light, Cheung denied that a physical altercation had taken place and promised to release a video to support the claim.

He also said that the officer who tried to prevent staff from entering Section 60 was “obviously suffering from a mental disorder.”

Trump's running mate JD Vance tried to speak out in support of the Republican presidential candidate at a rally in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, claiming that the alleged altercation had “made up a story where I don't think there was one” and angrily lashed out at Harris, saying she could “go to hell.”

“They're acting like a TV commercial was filmed at a grave,” said the Ohio senator.

“He was there to provide emotional support to brave Americans who had lost loved ones, and there just happened to be a camera there.”

Social media users quickly made it clear to Vance that his running mate had actually made some kind of promotional video.

“There happened to be a camera there. What a coincidence!” wrote one X-user.

“HE FILMED A SPEAKER ON A GRAVESITE,” another chimed in.

Other social media users also sharply criticized Trump for the campaign video in which he turned the stop at the cemetery into an advertisement for his candidacy for 2024.

“This is sick!” posted one person on X.

“Narrator: He literally shot a commercial at a grave,” another person added.

Another social media user chimed in: “What makes you think Trump's visit to Arlington was a campaign stunt?” AND THE VIDEO YOU ILLEGALLY PRODUCED THAT HE HIMSELF POSTED ON TIKTOK! TRUMP IS A DISGRACE!”

Trump's former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told CNN that he believed the incident involving Trump's campaign team in Arlington “should be investigated.”

“No person or party, no side should ever use Arlington National Cemetery – or any of our cemeteries or battlefields – for partisan political purposes or to break the so-called rules,” he said.

“We must preserve its meaning, its importance and its sacredness for the American people and certainly for the veterans.”

The Independent has reached out to Trump's representative for comment.