Vice President Kamala Harris said former President Donald Trump “disrespected hallowed ground” during his recent appearance at Arlington National Cemetery, where the Republican candidate took and distributed images despite a federal ban on campaign activities at the site.
Harris, in a statement posted Saturday on the social media platform , after they were warned. about rules on the site.
“Let me be clear: the former president disrespected hallowed ground, all for the sake of a political stunt,” Harris said, calling Arlington a “solemn place where we gather to honor American heroes … not a place for politics.”
The original incident stemmed from Trump and Republicans’ continued criticism of President Joe Biden and now Harris over the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan. At the invitation of several relatives of soldiers who died during the withdrawal, Trump laid wreaths last Monday in honor of Sgt. Nicole Gee, Staff Sgt. Darin Hoover and Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss. They were among 13 U.S. service members and more than 100 Afghans killed in a bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport on August 26, 2021.
According to defense officials, the Trump campaign was warned not to take photos before an altercation at the cemetery. Officials have since said that an Arlington employee who two Trump campaign aides allegedly “verbally abused and pushed aside” has declined to press charges. The Trump campaign has since lashed out at Pentagon officials, with a top campaign adviser, Chris LaCivita, calling military spokespeople “hacks.” Trump campaign officials say it had permission to bring someone to take video.
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Since Biden ended his re-election bid, Trump has focused on Harris and her role in foreign policy decisions. He has specifically highlighted the vice president’s statements that she was the last person in the room before Biden made the decision on Afghanistan.
The Biden administration followed a withdrawal commitment and timeline that the Trump administration negotiated with the Taliban in 2020. A 2022 investigation by a government-appointed special investigator concluded that both Trump and Biden’s decisions were key factors leading to the rapid collapse of the Afghan government. army and the takeover of the Taliban.
Harris alluded Saturday to Trump’s history of fighting with veterans, repeating accusations that he has “called our fallen service members ‘suckers’ and ‘losers’ and disparaged Medal of Honor recipients.”
“This is a man who can’t understand anything other than serving himself,” Harris said. “I will always honor the service and sacrifices of all of America’s fallen heroes. … And I will never politicize them.”
© 2024 The Canadian Press
