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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Katie Hawkinson

Trump now claims Arlington cemetery scandal was ‘all made up’ by Harris

Utah Governor Spencer Cox

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Donald Trump is now claiming the Arlington National Cemetery scandal was “all made up” by his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris.

Trump made the claim in a rambling Truth Social post on Tuesday morning. The GOP nominee claimed “there was no conflict or ‘fighting’ at Arlington National Cemetery last week” and that it was “a made up story by Comrade Kamala and her misinformation squad.” This comes despite confirmation from the Army that there was an incident in which an employee was pushed aside.

“She made it all up to make up for the fact that she and Sleepy Joe have BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS for the INCOMPETENT AFGHANISTAN Withdrawal - THE MOST EMBARRASSING DAY IN U.S. HISTORY!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The former president is referring to a report, originally published by NPR, that a member of his campaign staff verbally abused and pushed a cemetery official who tried to stop them from filming and photographing in Section 60, where troops who have recently died are buried.

Donald Trump claims Kamala Harris ‘made up’ the Arlington National Cemetery scandal involving his campaign despite confirmation from the US Army that an employee was ‘abruptly pushed’ (Utah Governor Spencer Cox)

A spokesperson for the Army later confirmed that a staff member “who attempted to ensure adherence to these rules was abruptly pushed aside.” That employee has decided not to press charges, according to the spokesperson.

“This incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that the ANC employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked,” the spokesperson said last week.

JD Vance has similarly attacked Harris over the campaign’s scandal.

“Kamala Harris is so asleep at the wheel that she won’t even do an investigation into what happened and she wants to yell at Donald Trump because he showed up, she can go to Hell,” Vance said at the campaign rally when answering a question about the cemetery visit.

Trump and his team were at the cemetery for the three-year anniversary of the Abbey Gate terrorist attack, where 13 American troops and 170 Afghan civilians were killed in August 2021 as the US pulled out of Afghanistan.

Harris also commemorated the three-year anniversary with a statement.

“I will fulfill our sacred obligation to care for our troops and their families and I will always honor their service and sacrifice,” the vice president said in a statement.

“President Biden made the courageous and right decision to end America’s longest war,” she continued.

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