Trump issues statement from Gold Star families defending Arlington Cemetery visit
FILE-Republican presidential nominee, and former president Donald Trump stands alongside Bill Barnett (L), whose grandson Staff Sgt Darin Taylor Hoover died in Abbey Gate Bombing, during a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at
Donald Trump’s campaign issued a statement Sunday from the Gold Star military families who invited him to Arlington National Cemetery amid controversy surrounding the former president’s visit to the grounds.
In the statement obtained by the Associated Press, the relatives' joint statement read, "President Trump was invited by us, the Gold Star families, to attend the solemn ceremonies commemorating the three-year anniversary of our children's deaths. He was there to honor their sacrifice, yet Vice President Harris has disgracefully twisted this sacred moment into a political ploy."
The Republican presidential candidate laid wreaths on August 26 in honor of Sgt. Nicole Gee, Staff Sgt. Darin Hoover, and Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss. They were among 13 U.S. service members and over 100 Afghans who died in an Aug. 26, 2021, bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport as U.S. forces withdrew from Afghanistan.
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Trump’s campaign later distributed images of the visit despite Arlington Cemetery's ban on political activity on the grounds.
Vice President Kamala Harris accused Trump of having "disrespected sacred ground," the Associated Press reported.
However, Trump and the families of some of the soldiers killed in the bombing blame Harris, as they did President Joe Biden before he ended his reelection bid, for their loved ones' deaths. The families say Trump was honoring their loved ones when he came to Arlington.
Trump thanked the family members for their statement in a social media post. "Thank you for saying you wanted me to stand with you ... and take pictures, that it was your request, not mine," he wrote.
Why was Trump’s appearance at Arlington National Cemetery controversial?
The Republican presidential candidate’s appearance at the sacred grounds sparked controversy after defense officials said his campaign was warned about not taking photographs and that there was an altercation between Trump aides and a cemetery employee.
Officials told the AP that an employee whom two Trump campaign staff members allegedly verbally attacked and shoved aside has declined to press charges.
The Trump campaign has since criticized Pentagon officials, with his team claiming they had permission to bring someone to film video.
According to the AP, Biden’s administration was following a withdrawal commitment and timeline that the Trump administration negotiated with the Taliban in 2020.
A 2022 review by a government-appointed special investigator determined that decisions made by both Trump and Biden were pivotal factors leading to the collapse of Afghanistan’s military and the Taliban takeover.