Ongoing military probe into Arlington Cemetery incident during Trump's contentious visit, as per Army report.
Previously, an Army representative declared in August that they regard this matter as resolved.
However, on Friday, the Army disclosed a heavily censored police report submitted by the employee in August. The Army statement, accompanying the report, stated that the investigation into the occurrence is ongoing, and as a result, they cannot supply additional information at present. The report indicates that the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall Police Department Investigations Branch is still looking into the incident, despite the employee's decision not to press charges.
The report is heavily redacted, providing little insight or detail regarding the occurrence. The Army had earlier mentioned that the Arlington employee was forced aside by a member of the Trump team, but the report offers no clear explanation. The report names a "simple assault" offense, but the specifics of the incident are concealed apart from a reference suggesting forceful contact by one individual using both hands on another.
The report was made public following a court order delivered earlier this week in response to a lawsuit by American Oversight, a non-partisan watchdog organization advocating for the release of government records.
Chioma Chukwu, interim director of American Oversight, commented on Friday, "We're happy that American Oversight was able to get the report into the public's hands so they can see for themselves that there is still a federal law enforcement investigation into the August incident at Arlington National Cemetery."
The Trump team and campaign were at Arlington to honor the three-year anniversary of the Abbey Gate bombing, which resulted in the death of 13 US service members during the US's chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. Trump was invited by the families of some of the fallen troops.
A video of the visit was later released by the Trump campaign on TikTok, featuring Trump visiting graves throughout the cemetery while critiquing the Biden administration's withdrawal policy.
Following the incident, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung disputed allegations of a physical altercation, stating that the employee attempted to "physically block members of President Trump's team during a solemn ceremony." Cheung suggested that the Trump team had video evidence to support their claim, but no such video has been revealed.
The Trump campaign manager, Chris LaCivita, referred to the unidentified individual as "despicable," accusing them of spreading lies and disrespecting the US armed forces. Others, including veteran organizations, criticized the visit as the politicization of a revered US military burial site.
The US Army delivered an uncommon rebuke in a statement shortly after the incident, defending the Arlington employee and stating that Trump's team was informed of federal laws, Army regulations, and DoD policies prohibiting political activities on cemetery grounds. The Army spokesperson expressed concern that the employee's professionalism had been unfairly condemned and emphasized the importance of maintaining the sanctity of Arlington National Cemetery.
The Trump campaign referred to statements from the Gold Star families attending the ceremony, arguing that they had given permission for the videographer and photographer to be present. However, certain images from the visit showed the graves of other US service members whose families had not granted permission.
A photo shared online featured the grave of Army Master Sgt. Andrew Marckesano — a Special Forces officer and Silver Star recipient who died by suicide — located nearby the grave of Marine Staff Sgt. Darin Hoover, one of the 13 killed at Abbey Gate.
Marckesano's sister, Michele, stated in a statement that while they supported the families of the 13 fallen in their quest for answers regarding the Afghanistan withdrawal, the Trump campaign had violated the rules of Section 60.
"According to our conversation with Arlington National Cemetery, the Trump Campaign staffers did not adhere to the rules that were set in place for this visit to SSGT Hoover’s grave site in Section 60, which lays directly next to my brother’s grave," Michele Marckesano said in a statement in August. "We hope that those visiting this sacred site understand that these were real people who sacrificed for our freedom and that they are honored and respected accordingly."
Despite the Army's earlier declaration of the matter being resolved, the Army statement released on Friday highlighted that the investigation into the incident at Arlington National Cemetery is still ongoing due to the federal law enforcement investigation by the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall Police Department. The disclosure of the heavily redacted police report by the Army was a result of a court order obtained by American Oversight, a non-partisan watchdog organization involved in politics.
