08/29/2024

Army Defends Arlington Cemetery Staffer ‘Pushed Aside’ by Trump Aides

The employee decided not to press charges against the violators

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" during the encounter and that her reputation has been "unfairly attacked" by the former president's representatives.

The woman, whom Army officials have requested remain unidentified because of concerns for her safety, sought to restrict photography by the Trump campaign in accordance with federal regulations barring partisan activity at the cemetery, the final resting place of more than 400,000 U.S. troops, veterans and family members. Former president Donald Trump was there 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 made clear there was to be no official photography during a graveside visit in Section 60, a 14-acre plot where many veterans of recent wars are buried. After the employee sought to reinforce those guidelines, she was “abruptly pushed aside” by the people in Trump’s entourage, officials said in the statement.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.