US Army Rebukes Trump Campaign

This is rare because the military itself tends to avoid getting involved in highly political issues.

The Invitation:

Trump campaign manager Chris LaCivita shared a in a statement “President Trump was there on the invitation of the Abbey Gate Gold Star Families to honor their loved ones who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country.”

The Issue:

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

The cemetery said it “reinforced and widely shared this law and its prohibitions with all participants,” which includes “photographers, content creators or any other persons attending for purposes, or in direct support of a partisan political candidate’s campaign.”

Also, Trump appeared to suggest the incident stemmed from his campaign’s use of photography, sharing a statement from the family members of the fallen soldiers expressing their approval in a post on Truth Social.

“We had given our approval for President Trump’s official videographer and photographer to attend the event, ensuring these sacred moments of remembrance were respectfully captured and so we can cherish these memories forever,” the families said.


The Incident:

NPR first reported that there had been a “verbal and physical altercation” during the cemetery visit. A source with knowledge of the incident told the outlet that a cemetery official attempted to prevent Trump’s team from photographing and filming in the area where recent US casualties are buried. In response, Trump campaign staff “verbally abused and pushed the official aside,” according to NPR.

The Fallout:

The Army said it was “unfortunate” the “employee and her professionalism” were “unfairly attacked,” appearing to refer to allegations from Trump’s campaign—whom the campaign called “despicable”—of suffering from a mental health episode.

However, it wasn’t just the graves of those killed at Abbey Gate that were featured in photo and video from Trump’s visit. In at least one photo posted online, the grave of an Army Special Forces soldier who died by suicide is also featured; his family has since said they did not give the campaign permission to do so. The grave of Master Sgt. Andrew Marckesano sits next to that of Marine Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover.

Marckesano’s sister told the New York Times that his family “fully” supports the families of the 13 fallen “in their quest for answers and accountability regarding the Afghanistan withdrawal and the tragedy at Abbey Gate.”

“However,” she said, according to the Times, “according to our conversation with Arlington National Cemetery, the Trump campaign staffers did not adhere to the rules that were set in place for this visit to Staff Sergeant Hoover’s gravesite in Section 60, which lays directly next to my brother’s grave.”

Sources:

www.cnn.com...

www.forbes.com...

My Take:

This is bad optics for the Trump team.

Had they not attacked the ANC employee and labeled it as a "mental health episode", the U.S. Army wouldn't have to defend their employee and rebuke the Trump campaign.

Another interesting note. The Trump campaign has the video of this altercation. And reading between the lines, you realize that the ANC employee was a woman.

Now I'm wondering, was it a male staffer in the Trump campaign that pushed this woman?

Very bad optics indeed.

Might cost him a few votes.

a reply to: TinfoilTophat

No surprise that this was left out of your biased reporting:

Gee and Hoover’s families thanked Trump for the visit and said they gave the former president permission to take photos and video as reports emerged about the alleged physical altercation. “The president and his team conducted themselves with nothing but the utmost respect and dignity for all of our service members,” they said in a statement Trump posted to his Truth Social account.

a reply to: TinfoilTophat

On April 4 2011 Obama announced his candidacy for reelection.

en.wikipedia.org...

Here is a photo of him visiting section 60 on September 10 2011.

www.defense.gov...

It really does more good for the Trump campaign that he was there to honor those that lost their lives during the botched withdrawal of Afghanistan by the current administration, than it does against him that one of his staffers was in an "altercation". After being told they could have those videographers and photographers there.

Where was the current President? Who's at fault for why these brave men and women lost their lives to begin with.

Where was Kamal Harris or Tim Walz?

a reply to: Moon68

Biased OP ? Is it or is it not, federal law that prohibits campaigning in national cemeteries. If it isn't then there is no story here other than the fact that Trump was campaigning with the Gold Star family set the stage for. if it IS true, then those families had no lawful right to invite him to do so. Right? Or am I missing some other point here.

All the regime does is lie.

And the corporate media doesn't even pretend to be journalists anymore.

Baghdad Bob would be impressed.

originally posted by: BingoMcGoof
a reply to: Moon68

Biased OP ? Is it or is it not, federal law that prohibits campaigning in national cemeteries. If it isn't then there is no story here other than the fact that Trump was campaigning with the Gold Star family set the stage for. if it IS true, then those families had no lawful right to invite him to do so. Right? Or am I missing some other point here.

You're missing something. Trump wasn't there campaigning, he was invited by the families of the 13, murdered under this administrations watch, who got permission and okayed the photographers to be there.

Edit to add: Biden/Harris/Walz were also invited but never even responded to the families.

originally posted by: NorthOS
a reply to: TinfoilTophat

On April 4 2011 Obama announced his candidacy for reelection.

en.wikipedia.org...

Here is a photo of him visiting section 60 on September 10 2011.

www.defense.gov...

And what is the point here. That if it was ok for Obama then it's ok for Trump?
Or if is was wrong for Trump then it was wrong for Obama?

The question then is it right or wrong, lawful or against the law?

Either way, is the situation the the same? Obama was not in a heated campaign at that time, indeed I can't even recall if he had a Republican challenger at that point. Plus it was more than a year before election day unlike this year when the election is right around the corner.

Plus, who was doing the reporting and picture taking. In the Trump case it was his campaign crew but in the Obama case was it his own campaign crew or was it someone else. Might it have been press that followed him around or maybe a rando picture taker.

There is a far cry of a difference between to two pictures. With Obama's it was merely them walking along, in the Trump picture he was posing for the camera in his ''sacred'' moment.

originally posted by: Moon68

originally posted by: BingoMcGoof
a reply to: Moon68

Biased OP ? Is it or is it not, federal law that prohibits campaigning in national cemeteries. If it isn't then there is no story here other than the fact that Trump was campaigning with the Gold Star family set the stage for. if it IS true, then those families had no lawful right to invite him to do so. Right? Or am I missing some other point here.

You're missing something. Trump wasn't there campaigning, he was invited by the families of the 13, murdered under this administrations watch, who got permission and okayed the photographers to be there.

Edit to add: Biden/Harris/Walz were also invited but never even responded to the families.

Well, I could agree here except that the crew was Trump's campaign crew. If they had just wanted him there with them in that sacred moment, why invite his campaign crew to take the pictures, why not just have their own I phones to capture the moment?

No, it was a campagin tactic from those families straight to Trump and his team.

And sure, the Harris campaign might not have replied to the request because they knew it was against the law. Right?

originally posted by: BingoMcGoof

originally posted by: Moon68

originally posted by: BingoMcGoof
a reply to: Moon68

Biased OP ? Is it or is it not, federal law that prohibits campaigning in national cemeteries. If it isn't then there is no story here other than the fact that Trump was campaigning with the Gold Star family set the stage for. if it IS true, then those families had no lawful right to invite him to do so. Right? Or am I missing some other point here.

You're missing something. Trump wasn't there campaigning, he was invited by the families of the 13, murdered under this administrations watch, who got permission and okayed the photographers to be there.

Edit to add: Biden/Harris/Walz were also invited but never even responded to the families.

Well, I could agree here except that the crew was Trump's campaign crew. If they had just wanted him there with them in that sacred moment, why invite his campaign crew to take the pictures, why not just have their own I phones to capture the moment?

No, it was a campagin tactic from those families straight to Trump and his team.

And sure, the Harris campaign might not have replied to the request because they knew it was against the law. Right?

President Trump has an entourage that follows him, as do all politicians. They were welcomed by the families and invited to capture some candid photos.

If you're trying to insinuate that the FAMILIES OF THE DEAD SOLDIERS were trying to create a campaign moment for President Trump, then you're a c*nt and can F- right off to the deepest bowels of Hell.

a reply to: BingoMcGoof

If you could stretch juuuust a bit more.

Harris and Biden have never even spoken to those families and they don't want to because they don't give a damn about them.

a reply to: BingoMcGoof

Just pointing out the ongoing TDS fueled hypocrisy.

a reply to: Moon68

If you're trying to insinuate that the FAMILIES OF THE DEAD SOLDIERS were trying to create a campaign moment for President Trump, then you're a c*nt and can F- right off to the deepest bowels of Hell.

It is an entirely reasonable conjecture. Yet you are triggered to the MAX by it. So who is evaluating this situation from the more reasonable or rational approach. I would say that I am.

originally posted by: NorthOS
a reply to: BingoMcGoof

Just pointing out the ongoing TDS fueled hypocrisy.

Well then, I guess that means that it was wrong for both of them to do it, which I agree with but only if that photo of Obama was indeed a campaign tactic which I have already stated a counter to. He was sitting POTUS at the time and hence expected to be there by any press that would be interested, while in Trump's case it was photographed by his own campaign crew.

a reply to: BingoMcGoof

And what is the point here. That if it was ok for Obama then it's ok for Trump?
Or if is was wrong for Trump then it was wrong for Obama?

The question then is it right or wrong, lawful or against the law?

I think the question should be why are they making it an issue of it now when it wasn't even worth honorable mention when Obama did it?

The double standards are blatenly obvious and the only defense of them seems to be 'what-about-ism'.


Patriotism still matters to some Americans, especially in our leadership.

originally posted by: DAVID64
a reply to: BingoMcGoof

If you could stretch juuuust a bit more.

Harris and Biden have never even spoken to those families and they don't want to because they don't give a damn about them.

Well, That is YOUR stretch. With the current focus on the Afgan blunder one might expect them to have responded with at least a ''no because it is against the law''. But they didn't respond at all, right? That is what we are being told. And if it is true, then why would they not have responded, other than of course, your stretch.

a reply to: nugget1

Exactly.

But we know why.

originally posted by: NorthOS
a reply to: TinfoilTophat

On April 4 2011 Obama announced his candidacy for reelection.

en.wikipedia.org...

Here is a photo of him visiting section 60 on September 10 2011.

www.defense.gov...

Official DOD photograph of the serving president visiting over a year before the election.

Not exactly the same thing.

a reply to: nugget1

Nug. The issue here is that this was a campaign event. Trump's own campaign crew as opposed to the Obama picture from afar.

time.com...

From that link many points stand out but this one goes straight to the issue

The source told NPR that Arlington officials had made clear that only cemetery staff were authorized to take photos or film in Section 60. A defense official also told the Associated Press on Wednesday that, before the alleged altercation happened, Trump’s campaign staff had been warned to not take photos.

First, that statement about ''only cemetery staff are allowed to take photos. That sits very close to my earlier suppostion that it was not a campaign photo but rather someone else who snapped the picture. Likely a cemetery worker who then shared it, I don't know.

Yet, here also is the statement that Trump's group had been warned not to take photos. Then went ahead to push past the cemetery official who warned them.

a reply to: TinfoilTophat

To the original comments: I seem to remember when Obama cleaned house, and Trump's time came and went, and he didn't really clean out the swamp as promised. --Maybe the generals simply like the smell of war.