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A prominent Donald Trump campaign adviser dubs the US army as “hacks,” doubling down in the campaign’s dispute with Arlington National Cemetery officials.
The Republican nominee and his campaign have been in hot water after they filmed Trump’s August 26 visit to the military cemetery to attend a wreath-laying ceremony, despite an Arlington National Cemetery worker warning them against doing so due to federal laws — an exchange that resulted in an alleged physical altercation.
In an apparent attempt to further escalate the situation, Trump co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita posted on X on Thursday afternoon: “Reposting this hoping to trigger the hacks at @SecArmy,” sharing a video from the cemetery and tagging Army Secretary Christine E Wormuth.
The back-and-forth began on Monday when a cemetery official told Trump and his entourage they were at risk of violating federal laws by taking photos and videos for political purposes at the site.
After warning about the regulations, that cemetery worker “was abruptly pushed aside” by Trump aides, an Army spokesperson said on Thursday. “This incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that the ANC employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked.”
The Army’s statement was referring to comments made by LaCivita and Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung on Tuesday defending the campaign — and condemning the cemetery official.
Cheung denied that a physical incident occurred, vowing to provide video footage to back that claim but has yet to do so. He also claimed that the unnamed cemetery official was “clearly suffering from a mental health episode” in a statement to The Independent.
LaCivita similarly assailed the Arlington National Cemetery worker as a “despicable individual.”
JD Vance, Ohio Senator and Trump running mate, also weighed in on the conflict. “There is verifiable evidence” that the campaign was allowed to have a photographer there and that the families of fallen veterans “wanted” him there, he said on Wednesday.
Khizr Khan, the father of 27-year-old Army Captain Humayun Khan who was killed in 2004 and awarded a Bronze Star for his actions, questioned what Trump hoped to gain by the visit to the site of his son’s resting place.
“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.’”
Perhaps he was referring to Trump’s past comments calling veterans “suckers and losers” while visiting a cemetery in France. Or maybe he was referring to Trump’s 2017 visit to Arlington Cemetery where, according to former White House chief of staff John Kelly, the former president wondered aloud: “I don’t get it. What was in it for them?”
Now, Trump is trying to deflect the cemetery visit scandal onto his Democratic rival Kamala Harris. In a campaign event on Thursday in Michigan, Trump turned to allegations about the Biden-Harris administration’s record in Afghanistan. “Biden killed their children by incompetence – should’ve never happened. Kamala killed their children, just as though they had a gun in their hand, by gross incompetence.”
Democrats are now pushing the cemetery to release a log report into the incident.
The Army, however, has signaled that it wants to move on from the matter. The unnamed female cemetery official reported the incident with the military but declined to press charges. “Therefore, the Army considers this matter closed,” an Army spokesperson said. “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.”
When The Independent asked an Army spokesperson for further comment about LaCivita’s tweet, the spokesperson sent previous statements.
