Trump and clueless MAGA family at Arlington Cemetery
Screenshot from Twitter post
IT WAS TRUMP WHO MADE THE FIXED EXIT DATE FROM AFGHANISTAN DEAL WITH THE TALIBAN
Abby Zimet
Aug 30, 2024
FURTHER
COMMON DREAMS
Even by "seditionist crapsack standards," Trump's grotesque fuckery at Arlington Cemetery, where he and his henchmen used dead soldiers as a campaign prop, has been reviled as "repugnant," "nauseating," and "Too Damn Much," especially after news they shoved aside a female employee to do it. The desperate "hole-in-the-soul" stunt pissed off veterans, their families, the Army and many others; some said they've never grinned thumbs-up at a grave, but now they hope to live long enough to get to do it.
Trump's latest loathsome move is part of a long, inglorious slide to the bottom. As his numbers drop and his crimes resurface - thank you Jack Smith - he's ever more incoherent, vindictive, preposterous, often babbling on crumbling Truth Social. On Kamala Harris: her "FAKE NUMBERS VERSUS MY NUMBERS," how she "HAS TO PAY FOR HER FAKE ENGAGEMENT," how "WE'RE BEATING HER 'LIKE A DRUM.'" (Harris campaign: "Rent free.") Trashing Walz - RIP Minnesota! - he mourned a "state in shock, the city burned down and it was never built back, it was terrible." He says Dems want to kill newborns, Biden sleeps too much, Kim Jong Un doesn't, Hillary and Kamala gave (many) blow jobs, crime is down worldwide because the perps come here. Asked in Wisconsin what he'd do to "make life more affordable," he said, "Some people don't eat bacon anymore...This was caused by their horrible energy - they want wind all over the place." One comment: "Operation let him talk is going exceedingly well."
For a five-time-draft-dodger who's heedlessly savored his escape from hell by calling those who didn't "suckers and losers" - and who famously said of wounded warriors, "Nobody wants to see that" - his imbroglio at Arlington National Cemetery was both shocking and not. Having assembled "all the assholes somehow compelled to find their way to the side of the one silver-spoon failson asshole who would reign supreme over them all" - thank you Uncharted Blue - he decided the best way to troll enemies was by "decorating your campaign with their fallen friends" on Arlington's hallowed ground. The central irony of his hope to highlight the flaws of Biden's withdrawal from Afghanistan by joining with family members of a soldier killed in the Kabul airport attack: It was Bone Spurs himself who approved the release of 5,000 Taliban fighters in a widely panned deal he negotiated, ignoring warnings from sidelined Afghan president Ashraf Ghani that the move would lead to deadly chaos, which - surprise! - it did.
So it was that he and his gang of thugs turned up at a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on the attack's third anniversary. Then, per the Army, they "abruptly pushed aside" a female public servant who tried to stop them, lumbered into Section 60's home to fallen veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan - so heavily restricted that any filming at a grave site for political purposes is a violation of federal law - and stood at a grave with his leering goon smirk and teeny thumbs-up to have his fucking gruesome, gaudy picture taken at a grave next to several others whose denizens and their pain-filled families were not consulted. Hours later, having loudly denied they were using the solemn occasion to make cheesy "badly edited propaganda for their hellscape vision of America," they released a TikTok video of cheesy badly edited propaganda for their hellscape vision of America. Several classy MAGA pols also appeared, including Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, now under fire for using the images for fundraising.
After military police were called and wrote up a report, the Army issued an angry statement about the "unfortunate" incident - a rare move, because normal people largely obey the rules of common decency. In what was called "a stern rebuke," they said Trump staff were "made aware of federal laws, Army regulations and DoD policies, which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds"; they also confirmed the woman was physically shoved, praised her "professionalism...consistent with the decorum expected at ANC," and noted they conduct nearly 3,000 public wreath-laying ceremonies a year "without incident." Calling ANC "a national shrine to (our) honored dead," they declared "its dedicated staff will continue to ensure public ceremonies are conducted with the dignity and respect the nation’s fallen deserve." Deep down, though, they probably know anything involving Cadet Orange Slimebag and his horde of scuzzy minions render the likelihood of dignity or respect pretty slim. And so it went.
Responding with typical restraint and grace, Trump staffers quickly lashed out. Spokesman and piece of work Stephen Cheung sneered the worker "was clearly suffering from a mental health episode," denied any "altercation," and threatened to release video proof "if such defamatory claims are made." In a real shocker, they haven't, except for the mewling TikTok video in which a pious Trump lies, "We didn’t lose one person in 18 months, and then they took over, and that disaster, leaving Afghanistan.” Campaign co-chair Chris LaCivita called the woman they assaulted "a disgrace" and "a despicable individual"; later, "taking the team on a death spiral against America’s military," he said he hoped to "trigger the hacks" at the office of the (female) Army Secretary. After the woman employee declined to press charges, reportedly because she feared retaliation by vengeful MAGA-ites, the campaign called her fear "ridiculous," adding, "It sounds like someone who has Trump Derangement Syndrome." They seem nice.
Still, it kept getting worse. There were emails confirming the campaign was told about the rules, but barged in regardless. Federal law § 553.32 was cited: "Memorial services and ceremonies at Army National Military Cemeteries will not include partisan political activities." The "ripples of outrage" swiftly spread to veterans and their families, incensed at a tawdry effort to "borrow their valor." A pained, plaintive protest came from the family of Green Beret Master Sgt. Andrew Marckesano, a father of three who earned Silver and Bronze Stars in eight combat tours before dying by suicide in 2020 after enduring PTSD; his grave, clearly visible in the video, is adjacent to that of Staff Sgt. Darin Hoover, killed in the Kabul bombing, whose family had invited Trump. "Staffers did not adhere to the rules," wrote Marckesano's sister of their trespass on "this sacred site." "Understand that these were real people who sacrificed for our freedom," she wrote, "and that they are honored and respected accordingly."
Retired Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, whose father is buried in Section 60, called the stunt "nauseating" and "repugnant": "Someone who'd do that should never be Commander-in-Chief." A Vote Vets ad echoed him. After clips of Trump saying execrable things, they vow, "We are doing our damnedest to make sure no service member ever has to salute you as commander-in chief ever again." "Unforgivable," wrote a "pissed-off old Army wife" of his "self-aggrandizing behavior on hallowed grounds." She went on, "Every time I turn around and am virtually certain there's no more room beneath contempt for any more of Drumpfenfuehrer's egregious behavior, that malcontent motherfucker proves me wrong." Another: "I have not been able to shake the memory since that disgusting piece of sidewalk scum politicized the sacrifices (made) by those brave enough to do what his cowardice prevented him from doing." And, "If he wants to film a campaign ad at a cemetery, he should do it on the 1st hole at Bedminster."
People stayed pissed when the Army said it "considers this matter closed." They noted "assaulting a federal employee in the performance of her duties is a felony (18 USC 111)." Some felt higher-ups, quoted anonymously praising the woman for keeping things from "escalating," were making her a scapegoat to avoid confronting MAGA mania. "He’s a public menace" who'd only be more menacing in power, noted a critic who cited the Army's "Be All You Can Be" boast. "Maybe try being a little more dedicated to enforcing your own friggin' RULES." They had a point, made clearer after Jack Smith re-indicted him and Trump went on a full-on fascist, bonkers, delirious QAnon social media bender with a deluge of over 50 rabid posts: Dems in orange prison jump suits, Obama tried in public military tribunals, "The World Will Soon Understand" what all these glowing orbs, lights, soldiers, lightning and fat, old, white guy in baggy suit and clown make-up mean: "Nothing Can Stop What Is Coming!"
Hmm. If it is, they better get their lame act together; so far, J.D. Hillbilly isn't yet up to the task. After Arlington he tried to deflect, dismiss - "Apparently, somebody (had) a little disagreement with somebody” - and go on wildly misfired offense, telling Kamala she could "go to hell" for criticizing what she hasn't mentioned. Then, hilariously, "You guys in the media are acting like Donald Trump filmed a TV commercial at a gravesite." LOL. Also: "Abbey Road!" "Hulk Hogan!", booing firefighters! Trump still yammers: "Who's Harris?", "Joe Biden killed their children." "I really don't know anything about it," he prattled on the cemetery video backlash. "We have alotta people, you know we're leading the Internet...It coulda been the parents, it coulda been somebody. If somebody did it, this was a set-up by the people in the Administration. This all comes out of Washington, just like all of these prosecutors come out of Washington...These are bad people we’re dealing with." Huh. Please just keep talking.
Even by "seditionist crapsack standards," Trump's grotesque fuckery at Arlington Cemetery, where he and his henchmen used dead soldiers as a campaign prop, has been reviled as "repugnant," "nauseating," and "Too Damn Much," especially after news they shoved aside a female employee to do it. The desperate "hole-in-the-soul" stunt pissed off veterans, their families, the Army and many others; some said they've never grinned thumbs-up at a grave, but now they hope to live long enough to get to do it.
Trump's latest loathsome move is part of a long, inglorious slide to the bottom. As his numbers drop and his crimes resurface - thank you Jack Smith - he's ever more incoherent, vindictive, preposterous, often babbling on crumbling Truth Social. On Kamala Harris: her "FAKE NUMBERS VERSUS MY NUMBERS," how she "HAS TO PAY FOR HER FAKE ENGAGEMENT," how "WE'RE BEATING HER 'LIKE A DRUM.'" (Harris campaign: "Rent free.") Trashing Walz - RIP Minnesota! - he mourned a "state in shock, the city burned down and it was never built back, it was terrible." He says Dems want to kill newborns, Biden sleeps too much, Kim Jong Un doesn't, Hillary and Kamala gave (many) blow jobs, crime is down worldwide because the perps come here. Asked in Wisconsin what he'd do to "make life more affordable," he said, "Some people don't eat bacon anymore...This was caused by their horrible energy - they want wind all over the place." One comment: "Operation let him talk is going exceedingly well."
For a five-time-draft-dodger who's heedlessly savored his escape from hell by calling those who didn't "suckers and losers" - and who famously said of wounded warriors, "Nobody wants to see that" - his imbroglio at Arlington National Cemetery was both shocking and not. Having assembled "all the assholes somehow compelled to find their way to the side of the one silver-spoon failson asshole who would reign supreme over them all" - thank you Uncharted Blue - he decided the best way to troll enemies was by "decorating your campaign with their fallen friends" on Arlington's hallowed ground. The central irony of his hope to highlight the flaws of Biden's withdrawal from Afghanistan by joining with family members of a soldier killed in the Kabul airport attack: It was Bone Spurs himself who approved the release of 5,000 Taliban fighters in a widely panned deal he negotiated, ignoring warnings from sidelined Afghan president Ashraf Ghani that the move would lead to deadly chaos, which - surprise! - it did.
So it was that he and his gang of thugs turned up at a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on the attack's third anniversary. Then, per the Army, they "abruptly pushed aside" a female public servant who tried to stop them, lumbered into Section 60's home to fallen veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan - so heavily restricted that any filming at a grave site for political purposes is a violation of federal law - and stood at a grave with his leering goon smirk and teeny thumbs-up to have his fucking gruesome, gaudy picture taken at a grave next to several others whose denizens and their pain-filled families were not consulted. Hours later, having loudly denied they were using the solemn occasion to make cheesy "badly edited propaganda for their hellscape vision of America," they released a TikTok video of cheesy badly edited propaganda for their hellscape vision of America. Several classy MAGA pols also appeared, including Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, now under fire for using the images for fundraising.
After military police were called and wrote up a report, the Army issued an angry statement about the "unfortunate" incident - a rare move, because normal people largely obey the rules of common decency. In what was called "a stern rebuke," they said Trump staff were "made aware of federal laws, Army regulations and DoD policies, which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds"; they also confirmed the woman was physically shoved, praised her "professionalism...consistent with the decorum expected at ANC," and noted they conduct nearly 3,000 public wreath-laying ceremonies a year "without incident." Calling ANC "a national shrine to (our) honored dead," they declared "its dedicated staff will continue to ensure public ceremonies are conducted with the dignity and respect the nation’s fallen deserve." Deep down, though, they probably know anything involving Cadet Orange Slimebag and his horde of scuzzy minions render the likelihood of dignity or respect pretty slim. And so it went.
Responding with typical restraint and grace, Trump staffers quickly lashed out. Spokesman and piece of work Stephen Cheung sneered the worker "was clearly suffering from a mental health episode," denied any "altercation," and threatened to release video proof "if such defamatory claims are made." In a real shocker, they haven't, except for the mewling TikTok video in which a pious Trump lies, "We didn’t lose one person in 18 months, and then they took over, and that disaster, leaving Afghanistan.” Campaign co-chair Chris LaCivita called the woman they assaulted "a disgrace" and "a despicable individual"; later, "taking the team on a death spiral against America’s military," he said he hoped to "trigger the hacks" at the office of the (female) Army Secretary. After the woman employee declined to press charges, reportedly because she feared retaliation by vengeful MAGA-ites, the campaign called her fear "ridiculous," adding, "It sounds like someone who has Trump Derangement Syndrome." They seem nice.
Still, it kept getting worse. There were emails confirming the campaign was told about the rules, but barged in regardless. Federal law § 553.32 was cited: "Memorial services and ceremonies at Army National Military Cemeteries will not include partisan political activities." The "ripples of outrage" swiftly spread to veterans and their families, incensed at a tawdry effort to "borrow their valor." A pained, plaintive protest came from the family of Green Beret Master Sgt. Andrew Marckesano, a father of three who earned Silver and Bronze Stars in eight combat tours before dying by suicide in 2020 after enduring PTSD; his grave, clearly visible in the video, is adjacent to that of Staff Sgt. Darin Hoover, killed in the Kabul bombing, whose family had invited Trump. "Staffers did not adhere to the rules," wrote Marckesano's sister of their trespass on "this sacred site." "Understand that these were real people who sacrificed for our freedom," she wrote, "and that they are honored and respected accordingly."
Retired Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, whose father is buried in Section 60, called the stunt "nauseating" and "repugnant": "Someone who'd do that should never be Commander-in-Chief." A Vote Vets ad echoed him. After clips of Trump saying execrable things, they vow, "We are doing our damnedest to make sure no service member ever has to salute you as commander-in chief ever again." "Unforgivable," wrote a "pissed-off old Army wife" of his "self-aggrandizing behavior on hallowed grounds." She went on, "Every time I turn around and am virtually certain there's no more room beneath contempt for any more of Drumpfenfuehrer's egregious behavior, that malcontent motherfucker proves me wrong." Another: "I have not been able to shake the memory since that disgusting piece of sidewalk scum politicized the sacrifices (made) by those brave enough to do what his cowardice prevented him from doing." And, "If he wants to film a campaign ad at a cemetery, he should do it on the 1st hole at Bedminster."
People stayed pissed when the Army said it "considers this matter closed." They noted "assaulting a federal employee in the performance of her duties is a felony (18 USC 111)." Some felt higher-ups, quoted anonymously praising the woman for keeping things from "escalating," were making her a scapegoat to avoid confronting MAGA mania. "He’s a public menace" who'd only be more menacing in power, noted a critic who cited the Army's "Be All You Can Be" boast. "Maybe try being a little more dedicated to enforcing your own friggin' RULES." They had a point, made clearer after Jack Smith re-indicted him and Trump went on a full-on fascist, bonkers, delirious QAnon social media bender with a deluge of over 50 rabid posts: Dems in orange prison jump suits, Obama tried in public military tribunals, "The World Will Soon Understand" what all these glowing orbs, lights, soldiers, lightning and fat, old, white guy in baggy suit and clown make-up mean: "Nothing Can Stop What Is Coming!"
Hmm. If it is, they better get their lame act together; so far, J.D. Hillbilly isn't yet up to the task. After Arlington he tried to deflect, dismiss - "Apparently, somebody (had) a little disagreement with somebody” - and go on wildly misfired offense, telling Kamala she could "go to hell" for criticizing what she hasn't mentioned. Then, hilariously, "You guys in the media are acting like Donald Trump filmed a TV commercial at a gravesite." LOL. Also: "Abbey Road!" "Hulk Hogan!", booing firefighters! Trump still yammers: "Who's Harris?", "Joe Biden killed their children." "I really don't know anything about it," he prattled on the cemetery video backlash. "We have alotta people, you know we're leading the Internet...It coulda been the parents, it coulda been somebody. If somebody did it, this was a set-up by the people in the Administration. This all comes out of Washington, just like all of these prosecutors come out of Washington...These are bad people we’re dealing with." Huh. Please just keep talking.
Why Trump’s Arlington controversy is actually a crime
Image via Jim Mattis/Creative Commons.
Image via Jim Mattis/Creative Commons.
August 30, 2024
This article was paid for by AlterNet subscribers.
It’s not a controversy. It’s a crime.
If we don’t say so, we’re complicit.
National Public Radio reported Tuesday that two officials from the Donald Trump campaign assaulted a staff member at Arlington National Cemetery. The staffer tried stopping the former president from filming a campaign advertisment in Section 60. That section is reserved for the men and women who died fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s considered by many Americans to be sacred ground.
Trump was at Arlington Monday for an event marking the third anniversary of an attack on US military forces as they withdrew from Afghanistan. An emerging theme of his presidential campaign is blaming Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for the 13 Marines who were killed that day by an ISIS suicide bomber outside Kabul Airport.
Later, at the behest of two Gold Star families, Trump attended a separate, private ceremony in Section 60 at the headstones of Marine Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover and Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee. That’s when the “altercation” occurred. “When entering Section 60, campaign staff verbally abused and pushed the official aside,” according to NPR.
Assault is a crime, but the criming didn’t stop there.
According to Arlington National Cemetery, it’s against federal law to make campaign advertisements in Section 60. In other words, it’s illegal to turn the honored war dead into disposable partisan props. Put another way, profaning their memory and sacrifice is punishable by law. In a statement to NPR, Arlington National Cemetery said:
“Federal law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, to include photographers, content creators or any other persons attending for purposes, or in direct support of a partisan political candidate's campaign.”
In the same statement, Arlington National Cemetery said it “reinforced and widely shared this law and its prohibitions with all participants.”
Compounding the offense is the Trump campaign’s reaction.
Spokesman Stephen Cheung accused the cemetery staffer who was trying to uphold federal law of physically blocking “members of President Trump's team during a very solemn ceremony,” even saying the staffer was “clearly suffering from a mental health episode.” Another campaign official called the staffer “a despicable individual.”
Compounding matters more is the treatment of the Gold Star families.
They chose to invite Trump to the memorial, but did they also choose to be complicit in a federal crime? Did the Trump campaign inform them of the law, as Arlington had informed the Trump campaign?
According to Arlington National Cemetery, it informed “all participants.” Were the families led to believe they were merely helping a candidate whom they clearly support? Or were they led to believe law-breaking was fine and dandy as long as they were with Trump?
It gets worse.
The Trump campaign appears to have induced these Gold Star families into issuing a press release in which they thanked Trump and said they authorized his videographer to take photos and video at the ceremony.
There are two problems: One is that permission wasn’t theirs to give. Two is that there’s another headstone in the campaign photo (above). Army Master Sgt. Andrew Marckesano, a Green Beret and a Silver Star recipient who served six tours in Afghanistan, is buried next to Hoover. According to reports, his family wasn’t asked for permission.
So not only do these Gold Star families appear complicit in breaking federal law, they appear complicit in gravely offending another Gold Star family whose child loved his country as much as theirs did.
And by inducing these families into issuing their press release, he involved them indirectly in a cover-up of the original crime.
It gets even worse.
The Timesreported that the cemetery staffer who was assaulted for trying, under law, to stop the Trump campaign has decided not to press charges. Why? According to military authorities, the Timessaid, it’s because “she feared Mr. Trump’s supporters pursuing retaliation.”
In other words, she feared political violence.
So, thanks to Trump’s corruption, these Gold Star families now appear complicit in: breaking federal law; gravely offending another Gold Star family; covering up the original crime; and the role of political violence in the wholesale degradation of individual liberty and the rule of law.
Their kids died fighting terrorism and terrorism won.
But they are not the only ones complicit.
So are we – if we don’t stand by what we say.
Arlington National Cemetery is operated by the United States Army. It is not a civilian bureaucracy run by a partisan appointee. There’s no “deep state” here. These are people with the widest feeling imaginable for fidelity and respect. If anything, they’re Trumpsupporters. Yet loyalty to him didn’t override loyalty to the fallen. The obligation to their memory compelled them to oppose Trump’s desecration of it.
If we believe what we say about Arlington National Cemetery, and I think most of us do, there should be no debate over Monday’s events. There should not be “both sides.” This should not be a story about what Trump said versus what Arlington National Cemetery said. The question shouldn’t be what happened. It should be: who do we believe?
Do we believe Trump, a draft-dodger who thinks volunteers for military service are “suckers” and “losers”; who thinks soldiers maimed in combat are embarrassing; who said prisoners of war are unworthy of reverence; who insulted recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor; and who, just yesterday, released an ad using the honored war dead as a disposable campaign prop to attack his opponent?
Or do we believe those trying to keep sacred ground sacred?
As I’m writing, the Post reported that the Army stands by the cemetery staffer who tried stopping the Trump campaign’s criming. The rest of us should stand by her, too. If we believe what we say about Arlington — and our values – there’s no question about what happened.
It’s not a controversy. It’s a crime..
We should say so.
This article was paid for by AlterNet subscribers.
It’s not a controversy. It’s a crime.
If we don’t say so, we’re complicit.
National Public Radio reported Tuesday that two officials from the Donald Trump campaign assaulted a staff member at Arlington National Cemetery. The staffer tried stopping the former president from filming a campaign advertisment in Section 60. That section is reserved for the men and women who died fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s considered by many Americans to be sacred ground.
Trump was at Arlington Monday for an event marking the third anniversary of an attack on US military forces as they withdrew from Afghanistan. An emerging theme of his presidential campaign is blaming Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for the 13 Marines who were killed that day by an ISIS suicide bomber outside Kabul Airport.
Later, at the behest of two Gold Star families, Trump attended a separate, private ceremony in Section 60 at the headstones of Marine Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover and Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee. That’s when the “altercation” occurred. “When entering Section 60, campaign staff verbally abused and pushed the official aside,” according to NPR.
Assault is a crime, but the criming didn’t stop there.
According to Arlington National Cemetery, it’s against federal law to make campaign advertisements in Section 60. In other words, it’s illegal to turn the honored war dead into disposable partisan props. Put another way, profaning their memory and sacrifice is punishable by law. In a statement to NPR, Arlington National Cemetery said:
“Federal law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, to include photographers, content creators or any other persons attending for purposes, or in direct support of a partisan political candidate's campaign.”
In the same statement, Arlington National Cemetery said it “reinforced and widely shared this law and its prohibitions with all participants.”
Compounding the offense is the Trump campaign’s reaction.
Spokesman Stephen Cheung accused the cemetery staffer who was trying to uphold federal law of physically blocking “members of President Trump's team during a very solemn ceremony,” even saying the staffer was “clearly suffering from a mental health episode.” Another campaign official called the staffer “a despicable individual.”
Compounding matters more is the treatment of the Gold Star families.
They chose to invite Trump to the memorial, but did they also choose to be complicit in a federal crime? Did the Trump campaign inform them of the law, as Arlington had informed the Trump campaign?
According to Arlington National Cemetery, it informed “all participants.” Were the families led to believe they were merely helping a candidate whom they clearly support? Or were they led to believe law-breaking was fine and dandy as long as they were with Trump?
It gets worse.
The Trump campaign appears to have induced these Gold Star families into issuing a press release in which they thanked Trump and said they authorized his videographer to take photos and video at the ceremony.
There are two problems: One is that permission wasn’t theirs to give. Two is that there’s another headstone in the campaign photo (above). Army Master Sgt. Andrew Marckesano, a Green Beret and a Silver Star recipient who served six tours in Afghanistan, is buried next to Hoover. According to reports, his family wasn’t asked for permission.
So not only do these Gold Star families appear complicit in breaking federal law, they appear complicit in gravely offending another Gold Star family whose child loved his country as much as theirs did.
And by inducing these families into issuing their press release, he involved them indirectly in a cover-up of the original crime.
It gets even worse.
The Timesreported that the cemetery staffer who was assaulted for trying, under law, to stop the Trump campaign has decided not to press charges. Why? According to military authorities, the Timessaid, it’s because “she feared Mr. Trump’s supporters pursuing retaliation.”
In other words, she feared political violence.
So, thanks to Trump’s corruption, these Gold Star families now appear complicit in: breaking federal law; gravely offending another Gold Star family; covering up the original crime; and the role of political violence in the wholesale degradation of individual liberty and the rule of law.
Their kids died fighting terrorism and terrorism won.
But they are not the only ones complicit.
So are we – if we don’t stand by what we say.
Arlington National Cemetery is operated by the United States Army. It is not a civilian bureaucracy run by a partisan appointee. There’s no “deep state” here. These are people with the widest feeling imaginable for fidelity and respect. If anything, they’re Trumpsupporters. Yet loyalty to him didn’t override loyalty to the fallen. The obligation to their memory compelled them to oppose Trump’s desecration of it.
If we believe what we say about Arlington National Cemetery, and I think most of us do, there should be no debate over Monday’s events. There should not be “both sides.” This should not be a story about what Trump said versus what Arlington National Cemetery said. The question shouldn’t be what happened. It should be: who do we believe?
Do we believe Trump, a draft-dodger who thinks volunteers for military service are “suckers” and “losers”; who thinks soldiers maimed in combat are embarrassing; who said prisoners of war are unworthy of reverence; who insulted recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor; and who, just yesterday, released an ad using the honored war dead as a disposable campaign prop to attack his opponent?
Or do we believe those trying to keep sacred ground sacred?
As I’m writing, the Post reported that the Army stands by the cemetery staffer who tried stopping the Trump campaign’s criming. The rest of us should stand by her, too. If we believe what we say about Arlington — and our values – there’s no question about what happened.
It’s not a controversy. It’s a crime..
We should say so.
Trump’s Cemeterygate is Trump on full display
Image via Picryl/Creative Commons.
The Army statement went on to say: “It is unfortunate that the ANC employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked. ANC is a national shrine to the honored dead of the Armed Forces, and its dedicated staff will continue to ensure public ceremonies are conducted with the dignity and respect the nation’s fallen deserve.”
The incident has blown up into a big issue, but not because the Trump campaign erroneously held a political event at the Arlington National Cemetery.
It’s blown up because it’s a microcosm of Donald Trump’s moral squalor.
Trump has repeatedly shown contempt for military heroism. He claimed that the late John McCain, who had been a prisoner of war, was “not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”
When General Mark Milley invited a wounded, wheelchair-bound soldier to sing “God Bless America” at Milley’s welcoming ceremony as Trump’s chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Trump admonished him, “Why do you bring people like that here? No one wants to see that, the wounded.”
On a trip to France in 2018, Trump refused to visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery, where more than 2,200 U.S. service members are buried. “Why should I go to that cemetery?” he asked staff members. “It’s filled with losers.”
According to Trump’s then-chief of staff John Kelly, Trump called the Marines who died at Belleau Wood “suckers” for getting killed.
Trump recently said that the Congressional Medal of Freedom he’d awarded to Republican donor Miriam Adelson was “much better” than the Medal of Honor because Medal of Honor recipients are “either in very bad shape because they’ve been hit so many times by bullets or they are dead.”
It’s not only Trump’s disdain for military heroism that’s brought to mind by what happened at Arlington National Cemetery. It’s also Trump’s disdain for the law, suggesting other occasions when Trump and his henchmen have disregarded legal rules, including their attempt to reverse the outcome of the 2020 election.
Verbally abusing and pushing the cemetery employee who was trying to enforce the law, after she notified Trump and his staff that it was illegal to stage political events at the ceremony, recalls other instances when Trump and gang have pushed people aside, using violence to try to get their way. Think January 6, 2021.
That the employee in question is a woman brings to mind the multitude of ways Trump has employed violence against women, from grabbing their genitals to raping them to stirring up his followers to threaten them. She declined to press charges because, according to military officials, she feared retaliation by Trump supporters.
The entire incident is also a microcosm of Trump’s utter disdain for morality, honor, and patriotism — the public virtues, the common good. The cemetery is a sacred, hallowed ground. It is considered to be a national shrine. Trump sullied it to achieve his personal goal of the moment: to get a news clip in which he could bash Biden and, indirectly, Kamala Harris.
The incident rings the warning bells, rekindles the dark memories, revives the fears.
What happened at Arlington National Cemetery earlier this week was much more than an erroneous photo op. It was Trump on full display.
Robert Reich is a professor of public policy at Berkeley and former secretary of labor. His writings can be found at https://robertreich.substack.com/
Image via Picryl/Creative Commons.
August 30, 2024
ALTERNET
What might otherwise be considered a minor error of judgment can blow up into a big issue in a political campaign when the error evokes a candidate’s deeper flaws.
Yesterday, the U.S. Army issued a stern rebuke to the Trump campaign over his visit on Monday to the Arlington National Cemetery, where Trump sought to score political points by marking the third anniversary of a deadly attack on U.S. troops in Afghanistan as American forces withdrew from the country. Thirteen American service members were killed in the attack at Kabul airport’s Abbey Gate.
A video of the visit posted by the Trump campaign on TikTok shows Trump visiting grave sites, with audio of him blasting Biden’s “disaster” of the Afghanistan withdrawal.
The Army said in its statement that participants in the ceremony “were made aware of federal laws” which “clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds.” The statement also noted that an Arlington National Cemetery official “who attempted to ensure adherence” to these rules “was abruptly pushed aside.”
Reportedly, when the cemetery official — a woman — tried to prevent Trump and his staff from entering the prohibited area, Trump’s staff verbally abused her and pushed her out of the way so Trump could enter.
ALTERNET
What might otherwise be considered a minor error of judgment can blow up into a big issue in a political campaign when the error evokes a candidate’s deeper flaws.
Yesterday, the U.S. Army issued a stern rebuke to the Trump campaign over his visit on Monday to the Arlington National Cemetery, where Trump sought to score political points by marking the third anniversary of a deadly attack on U.S. troops in Afghanistan as American forces withdrew from the country. Thirteen American service members were killed in the attack at Kabul airport’s Abbey Gate.
A video of the visit posted by the Trump campaign on TikTok shows Trump visiting grave sites, with audio of him blasting Biden’s “disaster” of the Afghanistan withdrawal.
The Army said in its statement that participants in the ceremony “were made aware of federal laws” which “clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds.” The statement also noted that an Arlington National Cemetery official “who attempted to ensure adherence” to these rules “was abruptly pushed aside.”
Reportedly, when the cemetery official — a woman — tried to prevent Trump and his staff from entering the prohibited area, Trump’s staff verbally abused her and pushed her out of the way so Trump could enter.
The Army statement went on to say: “It is unfortunate that the ANC employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked. ANC is a national shrine to the honored dead of the Armed Forces, and its dedicated staff will continue to ensure public ceremonies are conducted with the dignity and respect the nation’s fallen deserve.”
The incident has blown up into a big issue, but not because the Trump campaign erroneously held a political event at the Arlington National Cemetery.
It’s blown up because it’s a microcosm of Donald Trump’s moral squalor.
Trump has repeatedly shown contempt for military heroism. He claimed that the late John McCain, who had been a prisoner of war, was “not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”
When General Mark Milley invited a wounded, wheelchair-bound soldier to sing “God Bless America” at Milley’s welcoming ceremony as Trump’s chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Trump admonished him, “Why do you bring people like that here? No one wants to see that, the wounded.”
On a trip to France in 2018, Trump refused to visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery, where more than 2,200 U.S. service members are buried. “Why should I go to that cemetery?” he asked staff members. “It’s filled with losers.”
According to Trump’s then-chief of staff John Kelly, Trump called the Marines who died at Belleau Wood “suckers” for getting killed.
Trump recently said that the Congressional Medal of Freedom he’d awarded to Republican donor Miriam Adelson was “much better” than the Medal of Honor because Medal of Honor recipients are “either in very bad shape because they’ve been hit so many times by bullets or they are dead.”
It’s not only Trump’s disdain for military heroism that’s brought to mind by what happened at Arlington National Cemetery. It’s also Trump’s disdain for the law, suggesting other occasions when Trump and his henchmen have disregarded legal rules, including their attempt to reverse the outcome of the 2020 election.
Verbally abusing and pushing the cemetery employee who was trying to enforce the law, after she notified Trump and his staff that it was illegal to stage political events at the ceremony, recalls other instances when Trump and gang have pushed people aside, using violence to try to get their way. Think January 6, 2021.
That the employee in question is a woman brings to mind the multitude of ways Trump has employed violence against women, from grabbing their genitals to raping them to stirring up his followers to threaten them. She declined to press charges because, according to military officials, she feared retaliation by Trump supporters.
The entire incident is also a microcosm of Trump’s utter disdain for morality, honor, and patriotism — the public virtues, the common good. The cemetery is a sacred, hallowed ground. It is considered to be a national shrine. Trump sullied it to achieve his personal goal of the moment: to get a news clip in which he could bash Biden and, indirectly, Kamala Harris.
The incident rings the warning bells, rekindles the dark memories, revives the fears.
What happened at Arlington National Cemetery earlier this week was much more than an erroneous photo op. It was Trump on full display.
Robert Reich is a professor of public policy at Berkeley and former secretary of labor. His writings can be found at https://robertreich.substack.com/
Trump’s Arlington scandal expands as Speaker Johnson’s role revealed: reports
Donald Trump is greeted by Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) before the State of the Union address in the House chamber on February 4, 2020 in Washington, DC.
Donald Trump is greeted by Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) before the State of the Union address in the House chamber on February 4, 2020 in Washington, DC.
(Photo by Leah Millis-Pool/Getty Images)
August 29, 2024
TRUTHOUT
The Republican Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, reportedly pulled strings to get Donald Trump into Arlington National Cemetery, amid what has become a scandal and a crisis for the ex-president’s campaign to re-take the White House and once again become Commander in Chief. Despite federal law that prohibits using the hallowed resting place of 400,000 of the nation’s service members for political purposes, on Monday the Trump campaign photographed, filmed, and released video across multiple social media platforms showing the one-term president and convicted felon awaiting sentencing participating in a wreath laying ceremony followed by him standing in a sacred section where photography is highly-regulated, and standing by several headstones, grinning, in his famous “thumbs up” pose, which was widely condemned.
The U.S. Dept. of the Army oversees and maintains Arlington National Cemetery. According to a Washington Post report Wednesday evening, “Pentagon officials were deeply concerned about the former president turning the visit into a campaign stop, but they also didn’t want to block him from coming, according to Defense Department officials and internal messages reviewed by The Washington Post.”
“Officials said they wanted to respect the wishes of grieving family members who wanted Trump there, but at the same time were wary of Trump’s record of politicizing the military. So they laid out ground rules they hoped would wall off politics from the final resting place of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their nation.”
RELATED: ‘Offensive’: Trump Turns Arlington Visit Into Campaign TikTok as Veterans Condemn ‘Stunt’
Trump’s team was told he could attend only in his personal capacity and that campaign staff members were not allowed. Some of his top campaign staffers reportedly attended Monday’s event despite the rules set by cemetery officials. Also in attendance were several Republican politicians, including Governor Spencer Cox of Utah, now under fire for using a photo of the event in a re-election campaign fundraising email.
“No hats, signs or banners were allowed, according to military officials,” The Post also reported. “No speeches. Reporters and photographers could follow Trump for a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns, but not to the 14-acre plot where veterans from recent wars are buried, known as Section 60. The media was kept away, unable to see the altercation — or anything else, for that matter — during that part of his visit.”
That “altercation,” reportedly involved a cemetery official who later filed a report stating Trump’s team verbally and physically assaulted her, according to multiple reports. She has said she is unwilling to press charges out of fear of retaliation from Trump’s supporters, according to The New York Times. The Trump campaign denies the allegations while campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung told The Times the reason for her decision to refuse to press charges “is ridiculous and sounds like someone who has Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
The cemetery “employee tried to enforce the rules as provided to her by blocking Trump’s team from bringing cameras to the graves of U.S. service members killed in recent years, according to a senior defense official and another person briefed on the incident,” The Post adds. “A larger male campaign aide insisted the camera was allowed and pushed past the cemetery employee, leaving her shocked.”
The Daily Caller reports Monday’s event “would have not happened without Speaker Johnson,” according to an unnamed source.
“Speaker of the House Mike Johnson had to intervene to get former President Donald Trump into Arlington National Cemetery for the third anniversary of the Afghanistan withdrawal with Gold Star families, a family told the Daily Caller,” according to the right-wing website.
That source also reportedly told The Daily Caller, “Arlington Cemetery officials claimed the families didn’t want any media, photography, or videography at Section 60, contradicting what the families had actually requested. The families were fine with the media, designated by the Trump team, but Arlington kept pushing back, obstructing the process.”
Not all families were fine with Trump’s appearance and photography.
“The family of a Green Beret who died by suicide after serving eight combat tours and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery expressed concern on Wednesday that Donald J. Trump’s campaign had filmed his gravesite without permission as Mr. Trump stood in an area where campaign photography isn’t allowed,” The New York Times reports. “Relatives of Master Sgt. Andrew Marckesano issued their statement two days after Mr. Trump’s visit.”
“Sergeant Marckesano died on July 7, 2020, after moving to Washington to begin a job at the Pentagon. He had three children, and friends said he had chronic post-traumatic stress disorder from his time in combat. He earned Silver and Bronze Stars during his service. His gravesite is adjacent to that of Staff Sergeant Darin Taylor Hoover, a Marine who was killed in the 2021 bombing at Abbey Gate outside the Kabul airport in Afghanistan.”
The Times reports while the Hoover family gave Trump permission to photograph, the Marckesano family did not, yet his grave “was shown in photos from the visit that were published online. A video was posted to Mr. Trump’s TikTok account featuring footage from the Section 60 visit and the gravestones from behind, with narration criticizing the handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.”
The Republican Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, reportedly pulled strings to get Donald Trump into Arlington National Cemetery, amid what has become a scandal and a crisis for the ex-president’s campaign to re-take the White House and once again become Commander in Chief. Despite federal law that prohibits using the hallowed resting place of 400,000 of the nation’s service members for political purposes, on Monday the Trump campaign photographed, filmed, and released video across multiple social media platforms showing the one-term president and convicted felon awaiting sentencing participating in a wreath laying ceremony followed by him standing in a sacred section where photography is highly-regulated, and standing by several headstones, grinning, in his famous “thumbs up” pose, which was widely condemned.
The U.S. Dept. of the Army oversees and maintains Arlington National Cemetery. According to a Washington Post report Wednesday evening, “Pentagon officials were deeply concerned about the former president turning the visit into a campaign stop, but they also didn’t want to block him from coming, according to Defense Department officials and internal messages reviewed by The Washington Post.”
“Officials said they wanted to respect the wishes of grieving family members who wanted Trump there, but at the same time were wary of Trump’s record of politicizing the military. So they laid out ground rules they hoped would wall off politics from the final resting place of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their nation.”
RELATED: ‘Offensive’: Trump Turns Arlington Visit Into Campaign TikTok as Veterans Condemn ‘Stunt’
Trump’s team was told he could attend only in his personal capacity and that campaign staff members were not allowed. Some of his top campaign staffers reportedly attended Monday’s event despite the rules set by cemetery officials. Also in attendance were several Republican politicians, including Governor Spencer Cox of Utah, now under fire for using a photo of the event in a re-election campaign fundraising email.
“No hats, signs or banners were allowed, according to military officials,” The Post also reported. “No speeches. Reporters and photographers could follow Trump for a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns, but not to the 14-acre plot where veterans from recent wars are buried, known as Section 60. The media was kept away, unable to see the altercation — or anything else, for that matter — during that part of his visit.”
That “altercation,” reportedly involved a cemetery official who later filed a report stating Trump’s team verbally and physically assaulted her, according to multiple reports. She has said she is unwilling to press charges out of fear of retaliation from Trump’s supporters, according to The New York Times. The Trump campaign denies the allegations while campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung told The Times the reason for her decision to refuse to press charges “is ridiculous and sounds like someone who has Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
The cemetery “employee tried to enforce the rules as provided to her by blocking Trump’s team from bringing cameras to the graves of U.S. service members killed in recent years, according to a senior defense official and another person briefed on the incident,” The Post adds. “A larger male campaign aide insisted the camera was allowed and pushed past the cemetery employee, leaving her shocked.”
The Daily Caller reports Monday’s event “would have not happened without Speaker Johnson,” according to an unnamed source.
“Speaker of the House Mike Johnson had to intervene to get former President Donald Trump into Arlington National Cemetery for the third anniversary of the Afghanistan withdrawal with Gold Star families, a family told the Daily Caller,” according to the right-wing website.
That source also reportedly told The Daily Caller, “Arlington Cemetery officials claimed the families didn’t want any media, photography, or videography at Section 60, contradicting what the families had actually requested. The families were fine with the media, designated by the Trump team, but Arlington kept pushing back, obstructing the process.”
Not all families were fine with Trump’s appearance and photography.
“The family of a Green Beret who died by suicide after serving eight combat tours and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery expressed concern on Wednesday that Donald J. Trump’s campaign had filmed his gravesite without permission as Mr. Trump stood in an area where campaign photography isn’t allowed,” The New York Times reports. “Relatives of Master Sgt. Andrew Marckesano issued their statement two days after Mr. Trump’s visit.”
“Sergeant Marckesano died on July 7, 2020, after moving to Washington to begin a job at the Pentagon. He had three children, and friends said he had chronic post-traumatic stress disorder from his time in combat. He earned Silver and Bronze Stars during his service. His gravesite is adjacent to that of Staff Sergeant Darin Taylor Hoover, a Marine who was killed in the 2021 bombing at Abbey Gate outside the Kabul airport in Afghanistan.”
The Times reports while the Hoover family gave Trump permission to photograph, the Marckesano family did not, yet his grave “was shown in photos from the visit that were published online. A video was posted to Mr. Trump’s TikTok account featuring footage from the Section 60 visit and the gravestones from behind, with narration criticizing the handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.”
Trump Campaign May Have Violated Federal Law by Filming Ad at Arlington Cemetery
A cemetery official was reportedly shoved by Trump staff while trying to prevent them from filming.
Sharon Zhang is a news writer at Truthout covering politics, climate and labor. Before coming to Truthout, Sharon had written stories for Pacific Standard, The New Republic, and more. She has a master’s degree in environmental studies. She can be found on Twitter: @zhang_sharon.
A cemetery official was reportedly shoved by Trump staff while trying to prevent them from filming.
By Sharon Zhang ,
Published August 29, 2024
Former President Donald Trump visits Arlington Cemetery on August 26, 2024
.Andrew Leyden / NurPhoto via Getty Images
Staff for the Donald Trump campaign reportedly shoved an employee at Arlington National Cemetery who was trying to stop them from filming their visit and potentially violating federal law earlier this week, reports say.
NPR reported on Wednesday that the cemetery staffer was trying to prevent the campaign from taking photos and filming at the site where U.S. soldiers are buried when Trump staff got in a verbal and physical altercation with her. The Army, in a rare statement, confirmed the incident and said that the employee was “abruptly pushed aside” by Trump aides.
That day, Trump was filming a campaign ad showing him participating in a wreath-laying ceremony. Text overlaid on the video criticizes President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, with a caption saying that it “should never have happened” — despite Trump’s support for the idea when he was in office.
The Trump campaign has been heavily criticized for using the cemetery for political purposes. The campaign distributed a photo and video of Trump next to the grave of a Green Beret, Master Sgt. Andrew Marckesano, who died by suicide and whose family denied the campaign permission to film.
It is a violation of federal law to take photos and videos of the site for political purposes. The Army said that the Trump campaign was “made aware of federal laws … which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds.”
Staff for the Donald Trump campaign reportedly shoved an employee at Arlington National Cemetery who was trying to stop them from filming their visit and potentially violating federal law earlier this week, reports say.
NPR reported on Wednesday that the cemetery staffer was trying to prevent the campaign from taking photos and filming at the site where U.S. soldiers are buried when Trump staff got in a verbal and physical altercation with her. The Army, in a rare statement, confirmed the incident and said that the employee was “abruptly pushed aside” by Trump aides.
That day, Trump was filming a campaign ad showing him participating in a wreath-laying ceremony. Text overlaid on the video criticizes President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, with a caption saying that it “should never have happened” — despite Trump’s support for the idea when he was in office.
The Trump campaign has been heavily criticized for using the cemetery for political purposes. The campaign distributed a photo and video of Trump next to the grave of a Green Beret, Master Sgt. Andrew Marckesano, who died by suicide and whose family denied the campaign permission to film.
It is a violation of federal law to take photos and videos of the site for political purposes. The Army said that the Trump campaign was “made aware of federal laws … which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds.”
The Army also criticized the Trump campaign for attacking the employee in the press. Trump campaign officials have issued several inflammatory statements about the employee, saying that she is a “despicable individual” who was having a “mental health episode.”
The employee reportedly declined to press charges against the Trump campaign because she feared retaliation from Trump supporters, The New York Times reported. Trump has a penchant for exacting revenge on his enemies, often calling his followers to violence — and, if he were elected, he would also have an unlimited ability to abuse the law due to the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling.
Campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said on Wednesday that the employee’s fear of retaliation “is ridiculous and sounds like someone who has Trump Derangement Syndrome.” Trump’s vice presidential pick, J.D. Vance, had brushed off criticisms on Wednesday, saying, “You’re acting like Donald Trump filmed a TV commercial at a gravesite” — even though that is essentially precisely what he did.
The article from NPR detailing the altercation between Trump staff and the worker was censored on social media platform X on Thursday. Perhaps seeking to contain the fallout of the incident, the platform owned by far right billionaire Elon Musk served a warning page to those who clicked the link, saying that the link was “unsafe,” without evidence.
This article is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), and you are free to share and republish under the terms of the license. See further guidelines here.
The employee reportedly declined to press charges against the Trump campaign because she feared retaliation from Trump supporters, The New York Times reported. Trump has a penchant for exacting revenge on his enemies, often calling his followers to violence — and, if he were elected, he would also have an unlimited ability to abuse the law due to the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling.
Campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said on Wednesday that the employee’s fear of retaliation “is ridiculous and sounds like someone who has Trump Derangement Syndrome.” Trump’s vice presidential pick, J.D. Vance, had brushed off criticisms on Wednesday, saying, “You’re acting like Donald Trump filmed a TV commercial at a gravesite” — even though that is essentially precisely what he did.
The article from NPR detailing the altercation between Trump staff and the worker was censored on social media platform X on Thursday. Perhaps seeking to contain the fallout of the incident, the platform owned by far right billionaire Elon Musk served a warning page to those who clicked the link, saying that the link was “unsafe,” without evidence.
This article is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), and you are free to share and republish under the terms of the license. See further guidelines here.
Sharon Zhang is a news writer at Truthout covering politics, climate and labor. Before coming to Truthout, Sharon had written stories for Pacific Standard, The New Republic, and more. She has a master’s degree in environmental studies. She can be found on Twitter: @zhang_sharon.
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