Amid the never-ending reports of Donald Trump insulting war veterans, his campaign made a pit stop at Arlington National Cemetery for what looked suspiciously like a photo op. Trump, master of turning even the most solemn moments into a spectacle, couldn’t resist the opportunity to make this about himself. After four years of basking in the spotlight as president, the man can’t go anywhere without turning it into a self-serving show.
Naturally, things got messy when Trump's photographers clashed with cemetery officials. Rules apply to everyone except Trump, as his team tried to enter Section 60—where recent U.S. casualties are buried—despite clear restrictions. When officials stood their ground, Trump's people, ever the bastions of civility, resorted to verbal abuse and attempted to shove the official out of the way. Stay classy, Team Trump.
"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," according to the statement. "Arlington National Cemetery reinforced and widely shared this law and its prohibitions with all participants."
Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung, in classic fashion, flat-out denied the altercation, labeling the claims defamatory and promising the campaign had footage to set the record straight. Because, of course, when has Trump’s team ever lied or manipulated footage? Despite Cheung’s protests, Trump's well-documented history of verbal and physical aggression makes it pretty likely his staff take after him. Arlington National Cemetery, meanwhile, didn’t need to spin a story—they simply confirmed that an incident did happen, and they had already filed a report.
For those keeping track, federal law makes it crystal clear: no campaign stunts at military cemeteries, including photography for political gain. Arlington officials kindly reminded everyone about this rule before the event, but naturally, Team Trump didn’t feel bound by such trivial things as laws. Cheung, ever the professional, took things up a notch by insulting the official who enforced the rules, dismissing them as having a "mental health episode." Nothing says respect for a solemn occasion like a cheap shot at someone’s mental health.
"The fact is that a private photographer was permitted on the premises and for whatever reason an unnamed individual, clearly suffering from a mental health episode, decided to physically block members of President Trump's team during a very solemn ceremony."
One organization responded via Twitter (I'm not fucking calling it X):
Thoughts on the Trump team assaulting Arlington National Cemetery staff yesterday for a photo op. pic.twitter.com/O7Chz1fshP
— Veterans For Responsible Leadership (@VetsForRL) August 28, 2024
Despite the circus, Trump was indeed invited by the families of the fallen. When asked about the drama, they rushed to defend the Trump team, proudly claiming they gave the green light for the photographers. Because who wouldn’t want their solemn ceremony turned into a campaign photo shoot, right? Cemetery officials, however, politely reminded everyone that families don’t have the authority to permit on behalf of, you know, everyone else buried there. But hey, minor details!
To this Wellman said:
"The families put out a statement saying, 'Oh no, we authorized it.' They don't get that right. The families don't get the right to make decisions for the other people buried there."
In true Trump fashion, not even a military cemetery—where the country’s heroes are laid to rest—could escape being turned into a stage for political theatrics. What should have been a solemn ceremony quickly spiraled into a spectacle, complete with verbal abuse, rule-breaking, and Cheung’s signature brand of deflection. Sure, the families of the fallen invited him, but who cares about laws or decorum when there’s a photo op at stake? Once again, Trump’s team managed to make it all about them, leaving us to wonder: is there *anything* they won’t turn into a circus? It ends up that he turned the footage into exactly what we thought he would, into a TikTok campaign video.
Featured image screenshot via screenshot
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