Trump defends Arlington cemetery visit, says he doesn't 'need publicity'

Amid backlash over former US President Donald Trump’s highly publicised visit to the Arlington National Cemetery, the Republican presidential nominee has denied exploiting the controversial visit for political gain. While defending his visit to the soldier’s grave, Trump told a rally in Pennsylvania that he doesn’t need publicity.

The proclamation from the business-mogul-turned politician came after the US army publicly rebuked Trump’s campaign official for turning the Monday ceremony to mark the death of American soldiers in Afghanistan into a photo opportunity. Not only this, the army accused two campaign workers of pushing aside an official at the cemetery after being told that they were not permitted to take photographs at the graves of the recently deceased soldiers.

On Friday, Trump told the Pennsylvania, that he only posed at the invitation of the families. “I don’t need publicity. I get a lot of publicity. I would like to get a lot less publicity … I would hire a public relations agent to get less publicity,” he said. However, even the families of the soldiers do not have the authority to approve what proved to be a campaign photoshoot.

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Trump slams Joe Biden 

During his visit to the ceremony, the former president was pictured giving a thumbs up with family members of the 13 US soldiers and women who lost their lives in a suicide bombing as the US hurriedly withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021. In his rally speech, Trump accused US President Joe Biden of the devastating incident.

“Joe Biden killed those young people because he was incompetent. And then they tell me that I used their graves for public relations services, and I didn’t," he exclaimed. Hours before the rally, Trump sent supporters a fundraising email in which he promised to give “an EARTH-SHATTERING announcement" that will “blow the race wide open,” The Guardian reported.

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“It’ll strike FEAR into the hearts of our DEEP STATE ENEMIES. It’ll force the Fake News Media to kick their propaganda machine into OVERDRIVE. It’ll send Comrade Kamala begging for massive checks from the liberal billionaire class,” he promised in the email. However, during the rally, there were no such announcements and he continued with the regular bashing of his Democratic rival and US Vice President Kamala Harris.

Democrats call the whole ordeal “a disgrace”

Meanwhile, Democrats used the whole saga to highlight Trump’s history of disrespecting military veterans. The party accused him of exploiting a revered site for narrow campaign purposes, in breach of the cemetery’s regulations.

“Arlington National Cemetery isn’t a place for campaign photo-ops. It’s a sacred resting place for American patriots,” Mikie Sherrill, a Democratic House member from New Jersey and former Navy helicopter pilot, posted on X. “But for Donald Trump, disrespecting military veterans is just par for the course. It’s an absolute disgrace," she added.

Arlington National Cemetery isn't a place for campaign photo-ops. It's a sacred resting place for American patriots.

But for Donald Trump, disrespecting military veterans is just par for the course.

It's an absolute disgrace.

We're not going back.https://t.co/MRgU95xx0u

— Mikie Sherrill (@MikieSherrill) August 28, 2024

It is pertinent to note that the Arlington cemetery prohibits pictures or film being shot in section 60, the burial area for personnel killed serving in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. Meanwhile, Jared Golden, a Democratic Congressman and an ex-marine, called Arlington “sacred ground and all visitors should take the time to learn the rules of decorum that ensure the proper respect is given to the fallen and their families”.

“There are plenty of places appropriate for politics – Arlington is not one of them. Any aspiring elected official, especially one who hopes to be Commander in Chief, should not be confused about that fact," said Allison Jaslow, chief executive of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Overall, many believe that Trump’s campaign took a major hit with the cemetery visit.

With inputs from agencies.