Raskin Requests Army Report and Briefing on Trump’s Arlington Incident

Representative Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) has reached out to the U.S. Army, requesting a thorough report and briefing concerning former President Donald Trump’s recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery. This inquiry follows reports of a confrontation between Trump’s staff and officials at the cemetery.

In a letter addressed to Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth, Raskin specifically requested details on whether Trump’s team breached federal laws or cemetery regulations. Additionally, he sought clarification on whether the Trump campaign had informed the families of service members interred at the cemetery that their gravestones would be used in political campaign ads.

Raskin expressed his hope that the Army could provide a comprehensive account of the events that unfolded during Trump’s campaign visit to Arlington National Cemetery on August 26, 2024. He emphasized the importance of obtaining the incident report.

The visit coincided with a ceremony commemorating the anniversary of the Kabul airport attack, which resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members amid the 2021 military withdrawal from Afghanistan. At this ceremony, a reported altercation took place when Trump’s campaign staff attempted to enter Section 60, an area designated for the burial of service members who had recently died in Iraq and Afghanistan.

After being informed that they were not allowed to enter this restricted area, members of Trump’s team allegedly pushed aside the cemetery official who was enforcing the rules. An Army spokesperson defended the cemetery employee, stating that he was acting to uphold regulations that prohibit political activities within the cemetery.

The spokesperson noted that the employee demonstrated professionalism, managing to avert further disruption during the encounter. The incident was brought to the attention of law enforcement, although the employee ultimately chose not to press charges.

Describing the encounter as “unfortunate,” the spokesperson also remarked that the employee’s professionalism had faced unjust criticism.

In response to these allegations, Trump’s team asserted that they had received permission to have an official photographer or videographer present, separate from the main media pool. During a campaign appearance in Pennsylvania, Trump defended his actions at the ceremony, stating he had no intention of seeking publicity.

“I wasn’t doing it for publicity. I get a lot of publicity. I would like to get a lot less publicity,” he remarked.

Raskin’s letter included an apology from Utah Governor Spencer Cox (R), who was present at the ceremony on the same day. Cox had shared photographs of the event via his social media platforms and in fundraising emails but later issued an apology for these actions that politicized a visit to Arlington National Cemetery.

Raskin pointed out that while Governor Cox acknowledged and apologized for his political use of the ceremony, neither Trump nor his campaign had followed suit regarding these clear rule violations.

The Hill has thus far reached out for comments from both the Trump campaign and the U.S. Army regarding the incident.

Source: The Hill