Kamala Harris criticises Trump over Arlington Cemetery dispute
In response to a recent incident over his campaign at Arlington National Cemetery, Vice President Kamala Harris has criticized former President Donald Trump, stating that the military cemetery is “not a place for politics.”
In a social media post published on Saturday, Ms. Harris attacked Trump, claiming that he “disrespected sacred territory, all for the purpose of a political stunt.”
A Trump aide “abruptly pushed aside” a graveyard worker who attempted to alert his team about the regulations prohibiting filming in the cemetery, according to the US Army.
The Trump team has refuted the version of events provided by the cemetery and claimed that it was granted permission to film by the families of the deceased troops.
The incident occurred on Monday as Trump was attending a ceremony honoring the 13 US military personnel who lost their lives three years ago while the nation was pulling out of Afghanistan.
The Democratic presidential nominee, Senator Harris, made her first remarks regarding the scandal on Saturday.
During her term as vice president, she claimed that she had visited Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia multiple times and that she would never use the location for political purposes.
“Our veterans, military families, and service personnel should be acknowledged, never disparaged, and treated with nothing less than our utmost respect and gratitude,” Ms. Harris stated. “If there is one thing that we as Americans can all agree on, it is that.”
“And I think that no one should ever again stand behind the seal of the President of the United States of America if they are unable to fulfill this basic, holy obligation.”
On Thursday, during a campaign rally in Michigan, Trump responded angrily to individuals who had criticized him for the incident.
He added the relatives of the fallen servicemen had asked him to take a picture at the location following the tribute.
Trump remarked, “I go there; they ask me for a picture, and they say I was campaigning.” “Publicity is one thing I receive a lot of.” That’s not necessary for me. I don’t require the attention.
In response to the scandal, Trump’s running mate JD Vance said that Ms. Harris “can go to hell” and criticized the Biden administration for how it handled the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“Kamala Harris refused to do her job, which is why thirteen brave, innocent Americans perished three years ago,” Mr. Vance stated on Wednesday in answer to inquiries from CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.
The cemetery worker attempted to intercede but was pushed aside and verbally insulted by two members of Trump’s campaign team, according to an earlier NPR account.
Political campaigning is not permitted to be held at the cemetery according to federal legislation, but attendees were informed of this beforehand, according to the US Army.
“The situation was unpleasant, and it is equally terrible that the ANC employee and her professionalism have been wrongly abused,” a US Army spokeswoman said on Thursday.
The Trump team stated, “We are prepared to share footage if such defamatory assertions are made,” in response to criticism that there was a physical incident at the cemetery.
Since then, House Democrats have requested “full account” of the incident from the US Army in the form of a report on the occurrence.
