U.S. army rebukes Trump campaign for violating rules, clashing with staffer at Arlington cemetery

The U.S. army strongly rebuked Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's election campaign Thursday, saying a cemetery staffer was "abruptly pushed aside" when she attempted to enforce long-standing rules at Arlington National Cemetery (ANC).

"Participants in the August 26th ceremony and the subsequent Section 60 visit were made aware of federal laws, Army regulations and DoD (Department of Defense) policies, which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds," an army spokesperson said in a statement to Anadolu.

A cemetery staffer "attempted to ensure adherence" to the rules when she was pushed aside.

"Consistent with the decorum expected at ANC, this employee acted with professionalism and avoided further disruption. The incident was reported to the JBM-HH police department, but the employee subsequently decided not to press charges. Therefore, the Army considers this matter closed," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson was referring to Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, which is located just outside the cemetery grounds.

"This incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that the ANC employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked. ANC is a national shrine to the honored dead of the Armed Forces, and its dedicated staff will continue to ensure public ceremonies are conducted with the dignity and respect the nation's fallen deserve," the official added.

The Pentagon said the rules and regulations are clear and what happened earlier this week is very unfortunate.

"It's really the decision for the army to make and to pursue any other path forward. The Department (of Defense) right now is not doing that... We stand behind the army and considering this matter closed," Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters.

The incident occurred as Trump was attending a wreath laying ceremony for 13 U.S. service members who were killed in a 2021 suicide bombing claimed by the Daesh/ISIS terrorist group during the final days of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The Trump campaign later posted an edited video of the visit to social media. In it, the former president appears to be treating the visit as a campaign stop rather than a somber occasion, meeting with families and taking photos with them as overlaid audio and text criticizes President Joe Biden's execution of the U.S. withdrawal.

A campaign spokesperson previously denied any wrongdoing, and vowed to release video footage of the incident with the staffer. None has yet been released.