Kamala Harris expressed her outrage at Donald Trump's visit to Arlington National Cemetery, which she described as a political stunt. The vice president emphasized that the cemetery is a sacred place to honor the fallen American servicemen and should not be used for political purposes, according to a post by Harris on the social network X, reports Focus.
The US vice president's comments come in the wake of Trump's visit to the cemetery on Monday, where he took part in a wreath-laying ceremony honoring 13 service members who died as US troops withdraw from Afghanistan in 2021.
As Vice President, I have had the privilege of visiting Arlington National Cemetery several times. It is a solemn place; a place where we come together to honor American heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of this nation.
It is not a place for politics.
And…< /p>— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 31, 2024
Trump also visited Section 60 of the cemetery in Virginia, which the military considers a sacred site. Federal law and Pentagon policy do not allow political events at the site, but the Trump campaign posted a video from the cemetery on TikTok. >
Trump's visit drew criticism from some veterans and relatives of soldiers. Harris recalled that Trump has shown disrespect for service members and demeaned their contributions, previously calling the dead "bastards" and "losers". She expressed her belief that anyone who does not respect the victims of war and does not understand the importance of these sacred places should not be president of the United States. Harris concluded with a pledge to continue to honor the memory of fallen heroes and oppose attempts to politicize their sacrifice.
"Let me be frank: the former president showed disrespect for the sacred ground and all for political purposes," writes Harris, quoted by Focus.
The US military also accused the Trump campaign of turning Monday's (Aug 26) wreath-laying ceremony for the deaths of US soldiers in Afghanistan into a photo opportunity. The Army also charged two campaign officials representing Trump.
Donald Trump said he was invited to the ceremony by the family of one of the soldiers being honored, and that he and his staff tried to remove an official who told them they were not allowed to take pictures at the graves of recently killed soldiers.