(Corrects spelling of Kamala par 3)
(Reuters) – Two members of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign staff had a “verbal and physical altercation” with an official at Arlington National Cemetery during a visit by Trump this week, NPR reported on Tuesday.
Trump took part in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday to honor the 13 service members who died during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
Later in Detroit, Trump blamed Vice President Kamala Harris, his Democratic rival for the White House, and President Joe Biden for what he called a “catastrophic” withdrawal.
NPR reported, citing an anonymous source, that when a cemetery caretaker tried to prevent Trump campaign staff from filming and photographing at a site where military personnel are buried, Trump staffers “verbally abused and pushed the caretaker aside.”
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung disputed the report. “There was no physical confrontation as described and we are prepared to release footage if such defamatory claims are made,” Cheung said.
“The fact is that a private photographer had access to the grounds and for some reason an anonymous person, who clearly suffered from a mental disorder, decided to physically block members of President Trump's team during a very solemn ceremony.”
Arlington National Cemetery confirmed in a statement that an incident had occurred and that a report had been filed.
“Federal law prohibits political campaign or electioneering activities at Army National Military Cemeteries, including photographers, content creators, or other persons present for purposes of or in direct support of the campaign of a partisan political candidate,” the cemetery said.
There was no response to requests for a copy of the report or an explanation of why the Trump campaign was allowed to visit the cemetery as part of his campaign. (This story has been refiled to correct spelling of Kamala in paragraph 3.)
(Reporting by Alexandra Ulmer; Editing by Michael Perry)
