Kamala Harris says Donald Trump ‘disrespected sacred ground’ at Arlington military cemetery
The US Army says a cemetery employee was pushed after asking Trump’s team to stop filming in a burial section where photography is banned
US Vice-President Kamala Harris criticised Republican presidential rival Donald Trump on Saturday over a visit he made to soldiers’ graves at Arlington National Cemetery that was later used in campaign video footage.
“It is a solemn place; a place where we come together to honour American heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of this nation. It is not a place for politics,” Harris wrote in an X post.
The vice-president weighed in five days after Trump took part in a wreath-laying ceremony on Monday honouring the 13 servicemembers killed during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
He also visited Section 60 of the Virginia cemetery, which the military considers hallowed ground. Federal law and Pentagon policies do not allow political activities in that section, but Trump’s campaign posted a TikTok video with footage from the cemetery as he battles Democrat Harris in a close race for the White House.
Trump’s visit drew criticism from some veterans and soldiers’ relatives. The US Army on Friday defended a cemetery employee who was pushed aside at Section 60, saying she acted professionally and was being unfairly attacked.
“Let me be clear: the former president disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt,” Harris wrote.
