Why it matters: Trump has long touted himself as a champion of service members, but his history of jabs at the military offers a contrasting narrative.
Zoom in: Trump visited Arlington National Cemetery Monday for a wreath-laying ceremony remembering the third anniversary of a suicide bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members during the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
- Arlington officials had made clear that only cemetery staff members were authorized to take photographs or film in Section 60, the area of the cemetery where recent casualties are buried, NPR reported.
- The US Army confirmed in a statement that a cemetery employee was “abruptly pushed aside” while trying to enforce cemetery rules “which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds.
Catch up quick: Earlier this month, Trump contended the Presidential Medal of Freedom was the civilian “equivalent of the Congressional Medal of Honor.”
Zoom out: Those comments and the controversy at Arlington follow a series of condescending barbs directed at veterans over the years.