When the cemetery ofcl tried to prevent #Trump campaign staff from entering Section 60 of #ArlingtonCemetery campaign staff verbally #abused & pushed the ofcl aside.

…In a statement to NPR, #ArlingtonNationalCemetery said it "can confirm there was an incident, & a report was filed."

#PhysicalAbuse #violence
#HarrisWalz2024

“Federal #law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, to include photographers, content creators or any other persons attending for purposes, or in direct support of a partisan political candidate’s campaign," acc/to the statement. "#ArlingtonNationalCemetery reinforced & widely shared this law & its prohibitions with all participants."

#PhysicalAbuse #violence #Trump #ArlingtonCemetery
#HarrisWalz2024

So here is a full written confession of #Trump’s latest #crime (pic of Trump social media post)

#PhysicalAbuse #violence #Trump #ArlingtonCemetery #respect #law 
#HarrisWalz2024

Remember Federal #law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within Army National #Military #Cemeteries

No where in the law does it say that any family member of a service member buried there can give permission. Period.

#Trump campaign posts #video from #ArlingtonCemetery after altercation

A #US #defense ofcl said the Trump campaign was told repeatedly that they could not capture photos & video in #Section60, the final resting place of many recent fatalities.

Trump posted video from #ArlingtonNationalCemetery 2 days after the altercation in which defense ofcls said #cemetery staff sought to enforce guidelines the campaign had received.

#law #military #ServiceMembers
#HarrisWalz2024
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/08/27/trump-arlington-cemetery-npr-incident/

The campaign video… showed #Trump appearing during a…ceremony memorializing 13 US troops who were killed…during the US evacuation from Afghanistan. Trump is seen in the video at the Tomb of the Unknowns & walking among marble headstones as soft guitar music plays & Trump is heard criticizing the Biden admin’s handling of the withdrawal.
[In blatant disregard for the #law prohibiting political &/or campaign activity in #military #cemeteries.]

#disrespect #ServiceMembers
#HarrisWalz2024

“What was abundantly clear cut was: #Section60, no photos & no video,” the #defense official said.

A person familiar w/the matter told NPR, which 1st reported the incident, that the #Trump campaign staff pushed & verbally attacked a #cemetery ofcl who tried to stop them from taking photos & videos in Section 60.

…Trump campaign comms dir #StevenCheung said that…the campaign was…“prepared to release footage” to defend against “defamatory claims.”
[they haven’t, probably bc it doesn’t exist]

Allison Jaslow, chief execof #Iraq & #Afghanistan #Veterans of America, said in a statement that #ArlingtonNationalCemetery is a hallowed place that should be off limits to partisan activity.

“Any aspiring elected official, especially one who hopes to be Commander in Chief, should not be confused about that fact,” Jaslow said. “Nor should they hide behind members of our community to justify politicking on such sacred ground.”

#law #HaveSomeRespect #Traitor #criminal #disrespect
#HarrisWalz2024

#DOD Ofcls said they wanted to respect the wishes of grieving family members who wanted #Trump there, but at the same time were wary of Trump’s record of #politicizing the #military. So they laid out ground rules they hoped would wall off #politics from the final resting place of those who paid the ultimate #sacrifice for their #nation.

Instead, they got sucked into exactly the kind of crisis they were hoping to avoid.

#law #Traitor #criminal #disrespect #ServiceMembers
#HarrisWalz2024

A #ArlingtonNationalCemetery employee tried to enforce the rules as provided to her by blocking #Trump’s team from bringing cameras to the graves of US #ServiceMembers killed in recent years, acc/to a senior #Defense ofcl & another person briefed on the incident. A larger male campaign aide insisted the camera was allowed & pushed past the #cemetery employee, leaving her shocked.

[that the employee was a #woman is probably 1 reason Trump et al were such #disrespectful dicks]

#law #military

#Trump campaign spox #StevenCheung responded to the 1st report of the altercation, from NPR on Tues, by accusing, w/o evidence, the employee of “suffering from a mental health episode” [Im surprised he didn’t call the woman “hysterical” stereotypical #misogynistic crap]. #Defense ofcls said that the employee was trying to do her job & that the claim of a mental health episode was false.

#law #disrespect #military #ServiceMembers #ArlingtonNationalCemetery #misogyny #USpol
#HarrisWalz2024

On Wed #StevenCheung said the employee “initiated physical contact that was unwarranted & unnecessary.” [wrong - you were breaking the rules & the #law]

Cheung also said the #Trump #campaign would release footage to support his claim but has not. They did, however, post a TikTok of the event on Wed — exactly what #military ofcls tried to prevent. The use of the footage marked a flagrant violation of the #law against #partisan actions at #MilitaryCemeteries, #Defense said.

#HarrisWalz2024

[#Trump]…portrays himself as a champion of the #military, but #Democrats point to his public & private remarks denigrating #ServiceMembers.

“I just haven’t seen anything this disgusting. It is completely inappropriate to do any kind of #political activity on a federal installation, & it is #immoral …to conduct any kind of #SelfServing activity on a #cemetery w/the graves of our fallen,”said Paul Eaton, a ret #Army general & adviser to #VoteVets whose father’s remains are interred at #Arlington.

#Defense ofcls were concerned about the event Mon because #Republicans have frequently used the…[Afghanistan exit], as a #political cudgel. In advance of the event, #cemetery ofcls told #Trump’s team that he could come in his PERSONAL CAPACITY & bring PERSONAL aides, but NOT #campaign staff. Campaign advisers went anyway.

No hats, signs or banners were allowed, acc/to #military ofcls. No speeches.

#law #disrespect #ServiceMembers #ArlingtonNationalCemetery #USpol
#HarrisWalz2024

Reporters & photographers could follow #Trump for a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns, but not to the 14-acre plot where #veterans from recent wars are buried, known as #Section60. The media was kept away, unable to see the altercation —or anything else, for that matter— during that part of his visit.

The 1st part went according to plan. W/full media coverage, Trump & 2 injured Marines…laid a wreath at the tomb…dedicated to deceased #US troops whose remains have not been ID’ed or recovered.

The press then returned to a holding area, specifically instructed that reporters & cameras would not accompany #Trump & bereaved families to #Section60.

But Trump ofcls said they did not view the #campaign’s own photographer & videographer [who weren’t allowed to be anywhere there as campaign staff in the first place] as subject to the same restrictions, so they continued on to Section 60. Their arrival there prompted the standoff w/the #ArlingtonNationalCemetery employee over the rules.

#law

The incident has raised concerns about the #safety of #ArlingtonNationalCemetery staff members, the senior #Defense ofcl said, w/vitriol aimed at them initially on Monday by liberals, after the news coverage of #Trump at the #cemetery was published [really? I was immediately concerned for the staff & knew it was Trump et al being who they always are]. That has given way to language from #conservatives that also is “concerning.”

#law #disrespect #military #ServiceMembers #USpol
#HarrisWalz2024

“If the [#Trump] #campaign feels the need to defend their team’s actions — which include #bullying & physically pushing out of the way [#assault] a longtime #PublicServant & member of the team at #Arlington working to protect the sanctity of the sacred spaces — then that’s on them,” one #Defense ofcl said. “The rules were made clear to participants, & these two chose to disregard those rules. End of story.”

#law #disrespect #military #ServiceMembers #USpol
#HarrisWalz2024

…Co-campaign manager #ChrisLaCivita, who was present Monday along w/other #campaign employees, in a statement called the #cemetery employee “a despicable individual” who “does not deserve to represent the hollowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery.” [mother f⁕⚠︎er!!] LaCivita posted video on X on Mon of #Trump laying flowers at the grave of Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss, a soldier killed in the explosion, & speaking to his family on the phone [video all taken in #Section60].

#law
#HarrisWalz2024

In addition to the #campaign’s TikTok video, #Trump posed for photos on Monday at the graveside of Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee w/her family [in #Section60], including 1 where he is giving a thumbs-up & others are smiling. Eaton called the gesture “appalling.”

The campaign also defended itself w/a joint statement from the 2 injured Marines who appeared w/Trump & the families of some of the #ServiceMembers killed, saying they wanted Trump & his cameras there [irrelevant & illegal].

#military #law

…Other #veterans & bereaved families viewed #Trump’s visit as #disrespectful to a sacred space that also belongs to them & to the nation. #Section60 is a place where young widows can be seem trimming grass w/hand scissors, sharing comfort w/other #GoldStarFamilies, & decorating graves w/flowers & beads. Visitors have long taken graveside photographs there, & sitting presidents have visited before, but not as part of #campaign events.

#law #military #ServiceMembers #Arlington
#HarrisWalz2024

“That’s not the time or place for it,” said Karen Meredith, a #VoteVets board member whose son, 1st Lt. Ken Ballard, is buried in the second row of #Section60. “They had to #bully themselves into this thing. The lack of #respect for the rules or the norms or the #laws at #Arlington — there’s just no respect.”

#law #disrespect #military #ServiceMembers #ArlingtonNationalCemetery #USpol
#HarrisWalz2024

#Trump’s running mate, Sen #JDVance, turned the incident into a #political attack during a #campaign speech in Erie, PA, on Wednesday. “We’re going to talk about a story out of those 13 brave, innocent Americans who lost their lives,” he said. He then falsely accused #Harris of criticizing Trump’s visit to the #cemetery, which she hasn’t commented on. A Harris campaign spox called it “pretty sad.”

#law #disrespect #military #ServiceMembers #ArlingtonNationalCemetery #USpol
#HarrisWalz2024

#Trump has repeatedly defied restrictions [#law] on using #federal property for #campaign purposes by staging a #political speech at #MountRushmore, participating in a television interview inside the #LincolnMemorial, & holding [some of] the 2020 #RepublicanNationalConvention at the #WhiteHouse itself. As president, he pushed unsuccessfully for a *European-style* [nazi-esque] #military parade down Pennsylvania Ave.

#disrespect #Arlington #USpol
#HarrisWalz2024
https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-election-2020-ap-top-news-republican-national-convention-politics-54b27b22c8d4d5472f7ccfaeb0bb87ea

AP Explains: Is a Trump White House acceptance speech legal?

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump instantly ignited new controversy when he said recently that he may deliver his nomination acceptance speech during the Republican National Convention at the White House.

^{AP News}