A progressive veterans group went after “disgusting” Donald Trump this past week following the Republican nominee’s controversial stop at Arlington National Cemetery that included campaign staffers’ altercation with cemetery officials.
“Now, maybe the greatest insult of all, turning a military cemetery visit into a political stunt with cameras in tow,” said a narrator in a scathing ad from political action committee VoteVets.
The ad arrives after an Arlington official, during Trump’s visit to the cemetery at the invitation of some family members of military service members killed in the 2021 Kabul airport attack, was allegedly “pushed” aside by campaign staffers after informing them not to film part of the cemetery where recently fallen U.S. troops were buried.
Federal law prohibits “political campaign or election-related activities” within Army National Military Cemeteries, according to a statement from the cemetery.
Trump has since shared a campaign video featuring footage from his visit while a campaign spokesperson has denied that a staffer pushed an official, claiming they were “clearly suffering from a mental health episode.”
Vice President Kamala Harris, on Saturday, declared that Trump “disrespected sacred ground” for a “political stunt” during the visit.
Trump used his Truth Social platform over the weekend to share clips of family members of fallen service members including one that described Trump and his team as “respectful” while another accused Harris of “playing politics.”
On Thursday, VoteVets ripped Trump over the Arlington visit after citing several instances where he insulted the military. The ad referred to Trump reportedly calling Americans killed in World War I “suckers” and “losers” as well as when he referred to avoiding sexually transmitted diseases as his “personal Vietnam.”
“Disgusting. Donald Trump, the grave markers veterans and military families drop a knee to are not your political props. They represent the heroes we’ve served alongside, men and women you could never measure up to, friends who lived and died by the oath we all swore to uphold,” the narrator declared.
The speaker continued: ”[It’s] something you will never understanding and why we’re doing our damndest to make sure no service member ever has to salute you as commander-in-chief ever again.”