Donald Trump tried to stage a campaign event at Arlington National Cemetery this week, and there was no way the late U.S. Sen. John McCain was going to let him get away with it.
Trump visited Arlington on Monday, supposedly to honor Americans who died in an attack on the third anniversary of the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.
But make no mistake. It was a campaign event.
Otherwise, Trump would have concentrated on the individuals lost rather than posting on his Truth Social site, “This month marks the three-year anniversary of the most embarrassing moment in the history of our country.” He also posted video on social media.
What’s embarrassing, of course, is campaigning at Arlington.
Arlington doesn’t allow photos like that
It’s also illegal, which is probably what led to a dustup between cemetery officials and Trump people over taking photos and video in an area of the cemetery called Section 60, where many U.S. service members who died in recent conflicts are buried.
Trump’s operatives said they did nothing wrong, but the cemetery noted in a statement, “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.”
This occurred during the week of the sixth anniversary of the death of Arizona U.S. Sen. John McCain, whose spirit has since periodically taken up residence inside Trump’s head.
McCain has long lived in Trump’s head
The senator died on a Saturday. Traditionally, flags are lowered to half-staff for such an individual and kept that way until their burial. Trump’s White House re-raised its flag the following Monday.
There was a huge outcry from politicians on both sides of the aisle, as well as from just about every other decent, respectful human being in the country.
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Related:
Trump staffers reported over altercation at Arlington cemetery during photo op
Officials at military cemetery say two campaign members ‘verbally abused and pushed’ a representative
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/28/trump-arlington-cemetery-visit-altercation