The chief executive of the organization said Trump was hiding behind veterans „to justify politicking on such sacred ground.“
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.
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.
