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The father of a US Army soldier killed in 2004 and buried in Arlington National Cemetery is questioning what Donald Trump hoped to gain by visiting the venerated final resting place of US service members.
Khizr Khan’s son, 27-year-old Army Captain Humayun Khan, was killed while serving in the Army and was awarded a Bronze Star for his actions.
The Gold Star parent spoke with The Daily Beast, offering his opinions on Trump's controversial visit to the cemetery.
Trump and an entourage toured the cemetery on Monday where he posed with the family members of Marines who died in combat for photos at their loved ones' graves. Khan believes the former president only paid the visit to the cemetery to use the photo op to boost his 2024 presidential campaign — which, if true, violated federal law prohibiting using the cemetery for campainging.
It wasn't Trump's first time at the cemetery. Marine General John Kelly, who served as Trump's homeland security secretary and later as his White House Chief of Staff, confirmed to CNN that in 2007 the former president openly questioned why military members were willing to risk their lives.
“I don’t get it. What was in it for them?” Trump reportedly asked.
Kelly also confirmed that Trump called the American Marines who died in France during World War I "losers' and "suckers" during a European visit. Trump reportedly did not want to visit the soldiers' gravesites.
The former president has denied ever making any of the comments.
Khan does not believe him.
“He has proven his disrespect,” Khan told The Daily Beast. “Somebody needs to ask him, ‘You have shown that contempt multiple times and yet again, you go there.’”
This isn't the first time Khan has called out Trump for his reported disrespect and exploitation of military service members; he and his wife also spoke at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, and similarly criticized the former president.
“We are honored to stand here as the parents of Captain Humayun Khan, and as patriotic American Muslims with undivided loyalty to our country,” Khan said at the time. “Donald Trump, you are asking Americans to trust you with our future. Let me ask you: Have you even read the U.S. Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy. In this document, look for the words ‘liberty’ and ‘equal protection of law.’”
He continued, asking Trump if he had "ever been to Arlington Cemetery."
"Go look at the graves of the brave patriots who died defending America—you will see all faiths, genders, and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing and no one,” he said.
Trump's team returned to the cemetery on Tuesday for a ceremonial wreath laying marking the third anniversary of the Bagram airfield attack in 2021.
During the visit, Trump's campaign entourage reportedly shoved a cemetery official who was trying to maintain control of the solemn event, according to NPR.
Steven Cheung, Trump's campaign spokesperson, denied any physical altercation occurred, and called the claims "defamatory."
“We are prepared to release footage if such defamatory claims are made,” Cheung said in a statement. “The fact is that a private photographer was permitted on the premises and for whatever reason an unnamed individual, clearly suffering from a mental health episode, decided to physically block members of President Trump's team during a very solemn ceremony.”
The US Army contracticted Cheung’s version of events in a statement made on Thursday.
“Participants in the August 26th ceremony and the subsequent Section 60 visit were made aware of federal laws, Army regulations and DoD policies, which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds. An ANC employee who attempted to ensure adherence to these rules was abruptly pushed aside,” an Army spokesperson said, according to CNN.
The statement went on to defend the employee who was reportedly shoved aside.
“This incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that the ANC employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked. ANC is a national shrine to the honored dead of the Armed Forces, and its dedicated staff will continue to ensure public ceremonies are conducted with the dignity and respect the nation’s fallen deserve,” it said.
The day after the ceremony, Trump's team released a narrated video that looked suspiciously like a campaign ad highlighting the cemetery visit. A photo of Trump standing at the headstone of Staff Sergant Darien Hoover smiling and giving a thumbs up also made waves on social media.
Khan said Trump disrespected the rules and regulations intended to keep Arlington a quiet and respectful memorial to military members who were killed.
"He went there to exploit the sentiments of the people for political gain,” Khan told The Daily Beast. “It is appetite and ego, wherever he goes, whatever he does, wherever he stands.”
