The Arlington National Cemetery worker was pushed aside by Trump aides

A Democratic Soldier in Afghanistan, who allegedly pushed the secretary of Arlington National Cemetery to apologize for the attack and the death of 13 U.S. service members

An employee of Arlington National Cemetery who tried to “ensure adherence” to rules prohibiting political activities at the cemetery was pushed aside but did not press charges against the Trump campaign staff who allegedly pushed her.

The incident occurred earlier this week, when Trump appeared at Arlington to observe the three-year mark since 13 U.S. service members were killed in a deadly attack in Afghanistan during the U.S. withdrawal.

Peters: It’s nearly impossible because of the symbolic nature of what these gravestones and the bodies that are buried beneath them mean to us. There’s always going to be a tension there about how those symbols are used. And that’s why the staff at Arlington, as I got to experience them, are very careful to really focus on what we are here to do, and that is to honor the dead. And that was my role as a chaplain. And all those that work at Arlington have that mission in the foremost of their mind.

“It’s kind of like a neutral zone for a lot of things like religious ideology and politics and other things, because we want to honor the way these young people served our country in a time of great conflict,” Peters said.

Peters is a veteran himself. He enlisted in the Marines, served as a chaplain in the Army and the Army Reserves, including at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, then in Washington, D.C.

When Donald Trump visited Arlington, Washington, D.C., and told a spokesman: “I’m sorry to hear about David Peters, the guy who killed us, but what did you do?”

In the aftermath of the visit to Arlington, the Trump campaign’s response has taken on a tone of nastiness. One spokesman said the cemetery staffer was “clearly suffering from a mental health episode” and promised to release footage of the encounter but has so far declined to do so.

“It reminded me of what those graves mean for all of us as Americans, that these young people went far away from their homes to serve their country in this way and give their lives in a sacrificial way. Peters said they should never be exploited for political or religious reasons.

Michel Martin: You’ve participated in wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington, and I understand that you’ve conducted services there, funerals there. Political leaders come to them all the time. What do you do to keep the ceremonies from becoming political?

The person is David Peters. There’s always tension there. There is a place in the heart of Washington, D.C. where many people gather to honor those who have died. But also the staff there, that when I was there, I witnessed a very professional staff that worked really hard to keep the flow going of people that are grieving and people that are there to honor the dead, but also to to really show that these young people are special for our country and are symbols of hope and courage for the rest of us.

Martin: The family members of another service member didn’t like the fact that their gravestone was shown in the video. And I kind of wonder how do you balance that? On the other hand, there is a family that wants Trump there. You’ve got family members sharing that space, who do not appreciate that. How do you sort something like that out?

I don’t tell people how to grieve. But certainly in the sacred ground of Arlington, when the camera comes in, it makes the story a little bit different to outsiders. And so I think grief that is expressed there, even if it’s sometimes a little bit comical or joyful, can certainly be misinterpreted when it gets out to the larger community.

“You guys in the media are acting like Donald Trump was filming a TV commercial at a grave site and you’re lying about it,” he said. “He was there providing emotional support to a lot of brave Americans who lost loved ones they never should have lost. Somebody gave him permission to have that camera there, because there was a camera there.

NPR reached out to the Mast’s staff and asked if Langenderfer relayed the information to the Trump campaign. They did not address the questions but instead released a statement.

The Arlington National Cemetery Employee was ‘pushed aside’ by Trump aides: “Trump-arlington-cencealtercation-video”

The Army, in its statement, called the incident “unfortunate,” adding: “it is also unfortunate that the ANC employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked.”

“Participants in the August 26th ceremony and the subsequent Section 60 visit were made aware of federal laws, Army regulations and DoD policies, which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds,” the statement said. “An ANC employee who attempted to ensure adherence to these rules was abruptly pushed aside. Consistent with the decorum expected at ANC, this employee acted with professionalism and avoided further disruption. The incident was reported to the JBM-HH police department, but the employee subsequently decided not to press charges. Therefore, the Army considers this matter closed.”

“Joe Biden owes the men and women that served in Afghanistan a debt of gratitude and an apology. She said that Donald Trump loved this country and will never forget the sacrifice and bravery of our service members. We want you to help us put him back in the White House.

“Donald Trump has not forgotten and we will not forget,” said Cheryl Juels in Milwaukee at the RNC in July. Juels is the aunt of Sgt. Nicole Gee, one of the 13 U.S. service members killed at Abbey Gate in Afghanistan in 2021.

The family members gave approval for Trump’s photographer and videographer to document a moment of remembrance after the original NPR story.

Source: Army says Arlington National Cemetery worker was ‘pushed aside’ by Trump aides

Donald Trump has criticized the Military for politicizing civilians for their own benefit: An apology on Trump’s Twitter account of the Afghanistan war and a campaign apology against Cox

It’s not true that Trump has only made this claim about 18 months without military casualties. The 18-month period from February 2020 to August 2021 saw no combat-related deaths in Afghanistan, with part of that when Biden was in office.

A video posted on Trump’s TikTok account shows the former president laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and parts of him joining Gold Star families at their loved ones’ gravesites.

The family of Master Sgt. Andrew Marckesano, a Green Beret who died by suicide after serving multiple combat tours and who is buried in Section 60, said according to their conversations with the cemetery, “the Trump campaign staffers did not adhere to the rules that were set in place for this visit.”

“We hope that visitors to the sacred site understand that there were real people who sacrificed for our freedom in order to protect our freedom and that they are respected and treated as such,” they said.

The Republican vice presidential nominee, Sen. of Ohio, said that the campaign was “disagreement” over the withdrawal of Afghanistan and blamed reporters for the controversy.

In a clip for his campaign’s social account, Trump doubled down on his attacks against Harris and Biden.

“Asking the families of the 13 incredible servicemember heroes who died during the surrender of Afghanistan, if or not they cared about our young people and our military, is a sign that she doesn’t respect you,” Trump said.

Meanwhile, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, who attended the Arlington events with Trump, apologized in a social media post for sending a campaign fundraising email with a photo of him and the former president in Section 60 with the family of Staff Sgt. The man is named Darin Taylor Hoover.

This isn’t the first time Trump has been accused of politicizing the military for his own benefit. He insulted dead soldiers and the late Senator John McCain when he said that civilian Presidential medal of freedom recipients are better than Medal of Honor recipients.