Kamala Harris recently took a stance against Donald Trump, asserting he had turned a solemn visit to Arlington National Cemetery into controversial theater. Her focus was squarely on the idea that Trump had dishonored a sacred location for a political act. However, it’s worth noting that Trump’s camp consistently stated that they committed no violation at the hallowed grounds. This is a stark example of the way Harris seems fixated upon condemning former President Trump.
Trump made his way to the Arlington National Cemetery on August 26, marking an event to remember the third year of the assault on US forces as they were pulling out of Afghanistan. This occasion triggered a wave of criticism after it was revealed that Trump’s team had filmed segments of the burial sites, which they weren’t permitted to do so, and reports suggested that members of Trump’s staff forcefully disregarded a cemetery official who tried to prevent the recording.
It was reported that a Green Beret’s grieving family voiced their disapproval of Trump’s filming close to the serviceman’s resting place. Harris took to social media to voice her criticism, asserting that Arlington is a somber location not suitable for political maneuvering. Her statements seemed more interested in criticizing Trump’s actions than respecting the location itself.
Harris went on to state that Trump’s team deliberately filmed a video at the cemetery, leading to a conflict with the cemetery’s staff. Harris, in an attempt to garner support, stressed that Trump insulted sacred territory for a political play. One might argue however, that her strong accusations themselves came across as somewhat of a political maneuver.
In a statement released by the Army, they noted that the attendees at the ceremony on August 26 were informed about federal laws, army rules, and DoD policies, which unequivocally ban political happenings on cemetery lands. They highlighted that when a cemetery worker attempted to uphold these rules, they were unceremoniously sidestepped. One can’t help but wonder, however, whether some of this publicized backlash is politically motivated.
Trump, on the other hand, continues to assert he and his team committed no offense. In an interview with NBC News, Trump confessed his unawareness about the ‘rules and regulations’ concerning filming in the cemetery. However, it seems that this lack of knowledge is being used against him to push a certain narrative.
The former president said that he heard about an argument at the cemetery concerning picture-taking, but that he was unaware who the involved parties were. Trump conveyed that he accepted the requests of families to take pictures and maintained that he had no regrets in doing so. Despite these statements, the media spun this into a controversy, questioning Trump’s motives.
Members of Trump’s camp echoed his sentiments. Sen. JD Vance, his running partner, spoke out at a Wisconsin campaign event, suggesting that Trump was at the cemetery to provide ’emotional support to a lot of brave Americans who lost loved ones they never should have lost.’ The media’s focus on Trump’s filming instead of the actual emotional impact of his visit, paints a biased picture.
The media’s reaction to this situation was called out by Vance. He criticized the media for insinuating that Donald Trump made a TV commercial at a burial site. This kind of distortion assists in perpetuating a negative image of Trump, and questions should be raised about the media’s role in this.
Meanwhile, Trump’s campaign manager, Chris LaCivita, shared his own sentiments with a post on the internet. He attached a video of Trump at the wreath-laying ceremony and took a shot at @SecArmy. Yet again, this was spun by the media to fit their chosen narrative of Trump’s visit.