Donald Trump says Arlington National Cemetery feud was made up by Democrats to cover up their failed Afghanistan withdrawal.
NPR recently reported that two members of Trump’s campaign “were involved in a verbal and physical altercation… with an official at Arlington National Cemetery.”
“There was no conflict or ‘fighting’ at Arlington National Cemetery last week. It was a made up story by Comrade Kamala and her misinformation squad,” Trump posted on social media on Tuesday. “She made it all up to make up for the fact that she and Sleepy Joe have BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS for the INCOMPETENT AFGHANISTAN Withdrawal – THE MOST EMBARRASSING DAY IN U.S. HISTORY!!!”
“They should have been at Arlington, not on a beach or studying for a Debate. Thank you to my friends, the GREAT GOLD STAR FAMILIES, for revealing the TRUTH OF A BEAUTIFUL DAY OF HONOR. Could not have been a nicer moment-And there were no fights or problems, only in the heads of those that are destroying our Country!” he continued.
A source told NPR that the fight erupted after a “cemetery official tried to stop Trump aides from filming and photographing in an area where recent U.S. casualties are buried,” which is against cemetery rules.
The Trump campaign confined the story. “This is a private individual who had permission to be present and was the first member of her family allowed on the burial site and at President Trump’s request shared his few moments in prayer,” said Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung in an interview with NPR.
The White House immediately pushed back on reports that President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris had been invited to the Arlington national cemetery event.
Kelly Barnett, the Gold Star mother of Marine Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, who was killed during the withdrawal, said that both Biden and Harris were invited more than once but chose not to make an appearance.
“I didn’t invite her personally or him personally. Governor Cox of Utah sent [Biden] a letter, letting him know the celebration that we were having, the ceremony that we were having, [and] told him that it would be good for him to be there,” Barnett said on Fox News.
“Also, Arlington Cemetery let them know of the ceremony, so they … went without any kind of response from either one. So, they were aware of the ceremony. They knew that it would be in their best interest to be there, and they refused to attend,” she added.