Harris says Trump campaign “disrespected” Arlington Cemetery for “the sake of a political stunt

Vice President Kamala Harris condemned former President Donald Trump and his campaign for disrespecting a “sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt.”

In a post on X, the Democrat Party nominee said Arlington National Cemetery is a “place where we come together to honor American heroes” and it is “not a place for politics.”

These are Harris’ first comments since it was reported that an altercation between a female cemetery official and a Trump campaign staffer on Monday. Trump took part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to commemorate three years since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. He was joined by Gold Star families whose family members died.

And yet, as was reported this week, Donald Trump’s team chose to film a video there, resulting in an altercation with cemetery staff,” Harris said on Saturday. “Let me be clear: the former president disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt.”

She added: “If there is one thing on which we as Americans can all agree, it is that our veterans, military families, and service members should be honored, never disparaged, and treated with nothing less than our highes

Different experiences, same incident 

The Trump campaign said they were explicitly granted permission to bring “campaign designated media” to Section 60 of the cemetery by the Gold Star families. Messages reviewed by CBS News confirmed that the campaign was given direct permission by the families.

However, the rules at Army National Military Cemeteries are dictated by federal law which prohibits any filming for partisan, political or fundraising purposes, according to Arlington National Cemetery media policies, even if there are requests by family members of the fallen.