Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Calls Out Trump: ‘Sacred Ground’

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The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) has criticized former President Donald Trump for "politicking" on "sacred ground" during a visit to Arlington National Cemetery.

IAVA chief executive Allison Jaslow told Newsweek that Arlington should be free from politics. "When I visit Section 60, it is to honor the fallen and remind myself that I was one of the lucky ones who made it home," she said. "There are plenty of places appropriate for politics—Arlington is not one of them."

Despite being told by a cemetery official not to do so, the Trump campaign took photographs and video footage in Section 60, an area reserved for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Any aspiring elected official, especially one who hopes to be Commander-in-Chief, should not be confused about that fact. Nor should they hide behind members of our community to justify politicking on such sacred ground."

The criticism comes after Trump attended a wreath-laying ceremony on Monday commemorating American soldiers who died in the 2021 Kabul airport attack during the U.S. Military's withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Section 60 of Arlington Cemetery on Memorial Day, May 27, 2024. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America has criticized former President Donald Trump for politicizing a visit to the cemetery. Section 60 of Arlington Cemetery on Memorial Day, May 27, 2024. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America has criticized former President Donald Trump for politicizing a visit to the cemetery. Jacquelyn Martin/ASSOCIATED PRESS Trump has faced backlash, first after his campaign staff had an altercation with a cemetery official trying to prevent them from taking videos and photographs in Section 60, and later for posting footage of the event in a TikTok video that included partisan remarks.

The official filed an incident report with military authorities over the altercation. However, the woman, who has not been identified, later declined to press charges. Military officials said she feared retaliation from Trump supporters.

Trump's campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung denied that the campaign was prohibited from filming in Section 60, and posted a screenshot on his X, formerly Twitter, account that stated the former president's team had permission to bring a photographer or videographer, "outside the main media pool," and that they had permission of one of the families to film and photograph a grave site, but Arlington National Cemetery said in an official statement that filming and campaigning there was in violation of federal law.

Cheung told Newsweek that there was no physical altercation as described in media reports and that he was "prepared to release footage" to prove it, but he did not produce the footage when asked.

The TikTok video produced using the footage from the event showed Trump smiling and laying a wreath while a guitar track played in the background, as well as a voice-over criticizing "they" [the Biden administration] for their handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal. It is captioned, "Should never have happened."

Title 32, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Section 553.32(c) states: "Memorial services and ceremonies at Army National Military Cemeteries will not include partisan political activities."

As well as the TikTok video, a photograph was circulated on social media of Trump in Section 60 smiling and giving a thumbs up next to the grave of Staff Sergeant Darin Taylor Hoover, one of the Marines who died in the Kabul Airport attack.

Despite being told by the official that campaigning and photography was not allowed in Section 60, Hoover's family gave Trump's campaign permission to take the photo.

However, another grave is visible in the photograph, that of Master Sergeant Andrew Marckesano, a Green Beret who died in 2020. The New York Times reported that Marckesano's relatives did not give Trump's campaign permission to photograph his grave site.

The video and the altercation prompted criticism from veterans and former Trump administration members, including Alyssa Farah Griffin, who called the video "deeply inappropriate" and "disgraceful and disparaging to veterans."

"There are strict protocols at Arlington National Cemetery, and photography is limited to certain areas," Griffin explained. "A professional team would have known that."

Trump's running mate JD Vance dismissed the incident as media exaggeration, saying, "It is amazing to me that you have, apparently somebody at Arlington Cemetery, some staff member had a little disagreement with somebody, and they have turned the media has turned this into a national news story."

Trump has offended veterans several times in the past.

Earlier in August, Trump he said that the civilian Presidential Medal of Freedom was "much better" than the Medal of Honor, the highest U.S. Military honor, because many Medal of Honor recipients are wounded or dead.

Trump also drew criticism in 2015 when he said that Arizona Senator John McCain was "not a war hero."

"He's a war hero because he was captured," Trump told an Iowa audience. "I like soldiers who weren't captured."

McCain was held and tortured as a prisoner of war for five and a half years during the Vietnam War.

Trump also drew the ire of veterans in 2016, when the father of a slain soldier and Gold Star recipient said Trump had "sacrificed nothing," while his son had given his life for his country. Trump responded by bringing up his own sacrifices.

"I think I've made a lot of sacrifices," Trump said in response. "I work very, very hard."

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