Donald Trump’s Arlington National Cemetery controversy was already a mess for the former president, though a statement from the U.S. Army took the fiasco to a new level on Thursday morning. An Army spokesperson began by emphasizing, in writing, that those participating in Monday’s wreath-laying ceremony were made aware of federal laws, Army regulations and Pentagon policies, which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds.
But just as notably, the Army spokesperson went on to explain that an employee who works at the cemetery attempted to ensure adherence to the rules when she was “abruptly pushed aside,” despite Trump campaign denials about a physical altercation. According to the Army, the employee “acted with professionalism and avoided further disruption.”
In case this isn’t obvious, the Army generally goes out of its way to avoid issuing provocative statements related to politicians, especially during a campaign, but in this case, the branch made an exception.
For his part, the Republican nominee delivered public remarks on the matter for the first time hours later, misstated the date of his visit to Arlington, bragged about being on time for the event at the cemetery, characterized himself as a victim of smear, and concluded that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris “killed” American service members in Afghanistan. If that sounds ridiculous and offensive, it’s because it was ridiculous and offensive.
Around the same time, Trump campaign adviser Chris LaCivita, on the heels of publicly criticizing the official who works at the cemetery, issued a statement online that called the office of the Army Secretary a bunch of “hacks.”
So to recap, the former president — who remains burdened by a dreadful record related to respecting U.S. troops and veterans — isn’t just caught up in a controversy about exploiting one of the nation’s most sacred spaces and ignoring Arlington’s rules against politicization, his campaign team is simultaneously picking a public fight with the United States Army less than 10 weeks from Election Day.
Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, there’s a burgeoning conversation about uncovering answers that have not yet reached the public. Politico reported: Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat who sits on the Senate Armed Services panel, added Thursday that he wants to see the Army’s report on the confrontation. “As a member of the Armed Services Committee, I am troubled by the reporting and want to see the incident report,” Kaine said in a statement.
VoteVets, a progressive veterans group, wasted little time in throwing its public support behind the Democratic senator’s efforts, and there’s a related push underway from several House Democrats. Mark Esper, who served as Trump’s Defense Secretary, has also called for an investigation into the incident. Where will the controversy go next? Watch this space.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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