U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has publicly criticized Republican presidential rival Donald Trump for using a visit to Arlington National Cemetery in campaign material.
“It is a solemn place; a place where we come together to honor American heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of this nation. It is not a place for politics,” Harris expressed in an X post.
The controversy stems from an event on Monday, where Trump participated in a wreath-laying ceremony to honor the 13 servicemembers who lost their lives during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. Following the ceremony, Trump visited Section 60 of the cemetery, which is considered sacred by the military. Despite regulations against political activities in that area, Trump’s campaign later posted a TikTok video featuring footage from his visit. This move has come under scrutiny as Trump is currently locked in a tight race for the White House against Democrat Harris.
Trump’s actions have provoked disapproval from some veterans and relatives of soldiers. In defense of a cemetery employee who was criticized after being pushed aside at Section 60, the U.S. Army on Friday stated that she acted professionally and was being unfairly attacked.
“Let me be clear: the former president disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt,” Harris declared.
In his defense, Trump recounted during a speech in Pennsylvania on Friday that families of the fallen servicemembers had requested his presence at the cemetery. “I got there and we had a ceremony,” Trump explained.
According to him, the families then asked for photos at the graves, to which he agreed, saying, ‘Absolutely.’ “So I was taking pictures at the grave,” he added.
In a response to Harris’s criticisms, Trump took to his Truth Social account on Saturday, posting videos of relatives of the servicemembers defending his actions at the cemetery. Several directly addressed Harris, challenging her support for military families.