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   NewsWorldAmericasUS politics   
   Trump faces fresh backlash as he posts campaign video from controversial   
   Arlington National Cemetery visit   
      
   Former president has sparked fury after he was, firstly, captured posing   
   with his thumbs up and smiling at a soldier’s grave and, secondly, two of   
   his campaign staffers were accused of verbally abusing and pushing a   
   cemetery official   
      
   Donald Trump posts a campaign video of his controversial visit to Arlington   
   National Cemetery   
      
      
   Donald Trump is facing a fresh wave of backlash over his controversial   
   incident at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, after he posted a   
   campaign video on TikTok featuring footage from the visit.   
      
   This week, the former president has sparked fury from veterans, military   
   groups, and soldiers’ families after he was, firstly, captured posing with   
   his thumbs up and smiling at a soldier’s grave and, secondly, two of his   
   campaign staffers were accused of verbally abusing and pushing a cemetery   
   official.   
      
   Now, Trump is under fire for turning the anniversary of the deaths of   
   fallen American servicemen into a campaign video with social media users   
   branding it “disgusting.”   
      
   The video shows clips of Trump walking past graves and through the   
   cemetery, holding his hand to his heart in front of the Tomb of the Unknown   
   Soldier, where he also lay a wreath.   
      
   He is also seen laying flowers on the graves of the 13 service members   
   killed in the 2021 terror attack at Abbey Gate outside Kabul Airport,   
   posing with their family members for photos.   
      
      
   The video, complete with viral, solemn music, has a voiceover of the former   
   president describing the tragic loss of the 13 American lives.   
   Donald Trump gave a thumbs up at the grave of a soldier at Arlington   
   National Cemetery   
   Donald Trump gave a thumbs up at the grave of a soldier at Arlington   
   National Cemetery (Utah Governor Spencer Cox)   
      
   “We lost 13 great, great people. What a horrible day it was,” he says,   
   before turning on President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris,   
   blaming them for the chaotic withdrawal.   
      
   “We didn’t lose one person in 18 months,” he says. “And then they took over   
   that disaster – the leaving of Afghanistan.”   
      
   Trump instantly sparked backlash over his visit after he was pictured   
   smiling and flashing a thumbs up next to the graves of fallen soldiers.   
      
   His campaign then faced further controversy when NPR first reported that   
   two of his staffers had got into a physical altercation with a cemetery   
   official.   
      
   Arlington National Cemetery confirmed in a statement to The Independent   
   that “there was an incident, and a report was filed.”   
      
   A source told NPR that the cemetery official tried to stop the two campaign   
   staffers from filming and photographing in a section of the cemetery known   
   as Section 60, where recent US casualties are buried.   
      
   Arlington officials had reportedly made it clear to the Trump campaign   
   beforehand that only cemetery staff are authorized to photograph or film in   
   the area.   
   Donald Trump lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington   
   National Cemetery on Monday   
   Donald Trump lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington   
   National Cemetery on Monday (AP)   
      
   But when the official tried to stop Trump’s team from entering Section 60,   
   the staffers allegedly verbally abused and pushed the official aside, the   
   source said.   
      
   The New York Times has since named Trump’s press secretary Steven Cheung   
   and campaign co-manager Chris LaCivita as the two campaign staffers   
   involved in the incident.   
      
   When reached for comment by The Independent when the story emerged, Cheung   
   denied there had been any physical altercation and vowed to release video   
   to back it up.   
      
   He also suggested the official who tried to block the staffers from   
   entering Section 60 was “clearly suffering from a mental health episode.”   
      
   Trump’s running mate JD Vance tried to speak out in support of the GOP   
   presidential candidate at a Pennsylvania rally on Wednesday, claiming the   
   alleged altercation is “the media creating a story where I really don’t   
   think there is one” and wildly turning on Harris saying she “can go to   
   hell.”   
      
   “You’re acting like filmed a TV commercial at a gravesite,” the Ohio   
   senator said.   
      
   “He was there providing emotional support to brave Americans who lost loved   
   ones and there happened to be a camera there.”   
      
   Social media users quickly schooled Vance that his running mate had indeed   
   made some kind of promotional video.   
   JD Vance said Kamala Harris can ‘go to hell’ during a campaign stop in   
   Erie, Pennsylvania on Wednesday   
   JD Vance said Kamala Harris can ‘go to hell’ during a campaign stop in   
   Erie, Pennsylvania on Wednesday (Getty Images)   
      
   “There just happened to be a camera there. What a coincidence!” wrote one X   
   user.   
      
   “HE FILMED A TV COMMERCIAL AT A GRAVESITE,” chimed in another.   
      
   Other social media users also slammed Trump over the campaign video for   
   turning the cemetery stop into a plug for his 2024 bid.   
      
   “This is sick!” one person posted on X.   
      
   “Narrator: He literally filmed a commercial at a gravesite,” added another   
   person.   
      
   Another social media user chimed in: “What makes you say Trump’s visit to   
   Arlington was a campaign stunt?” HOW ABOUT THE VIDEO THEY ILLEGALLY   
   PRODUCED & HE HIMSELF POSTED ON TIKTOK! TRUMP IS A DISGRACE!”   
      
   Trump’s own former secretary of defense, Mark Esper, told CNN he believes   
   the incident involving Trump’s campaign staff at Arlington “should be   
   investigated”.   
      
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