A visit by the former president and Republican candidate to the White House, Donald Trumpto the cemetery of Arlington (Virginia) is sparking a strong controversy over the partisan use of the military cemetery, prohibited by law, as well as an altercation with a worker.
The former president visited the cemetery on Monday to commemorate the third anniversary of the attack by Islamic State at the airport of Kabul in which 13 US soldiers died, as well as 170 Afghan civilians, during the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.
During the visit, Trump’s advisers were involved in an incident with a cemetery worker who tried to prevent them from taking pictures in Section 60, a restricted area reserved for veterans of the Irak y Afghanistan.
Trump, however, posed with the relatives of one of the soldiers killed in Kabul, Darin Hooversmiling and with his characteristic thumbs-up gesture, and his campaign later disseminated various materials from the visit on social media.
Next to Hoover’s grave lie the remains of Sergeant Andrew Marckesanowho committed suicide in 2020. Images of his grave appeared in videos shared by Trump.
Marckesano’s relatives questioned this act in a statement: “We hope that those who visit this sacred site will understand that these were real people who sacrificed their lives for our freedom and that they are honored and respected accordingly.”.
They also revealed that “Trump’s campaign staff did not comply with the rules established” for the cemetery.
According to US media, a female employee tried to prevent the photos from being taken, which led to an incident in which the employee was “abruptly pushed.” The woman did not want to file a complaint for fear of reprisals from supporters of the former president, according to these sources.
An Army spokesman said Thursday that the participants in the ceremony were aware of the cemetery’s regulations and “one employee tried to get them to abide by those rules but was abruptly pushed back.”
“This incident is unfortunate, and it is even more unfortunate that the professionalism of the Arlington National Cemetery employee was unfairly attacked.”the Army said in a statement, in which it recalled that it will continue to ensure that public ceremonies are carried out with the required respect.
A Trump campaign spokesman, Steven Cheungsaid that this worker “suffered a mental health episode,” while the advisor Chris LaCivita He said the woman is “a despicable person” who “does not deserve to represent the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery.”
The incident adds to Trump’s past controversies involving the military, of whom he claims to be a great defender.
During his presidency, he refused to visit a cemetery in France with more than 2,200 American soldiers killed in the World War I claiming they were “losers,” according to several American media outlets. EFE (I)
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