US Presidential elections: Will Arlington cemetery incident become Donald Trump's political graveyard?

The cemetery is a revered resting place for American military personnel who died in war. As Donald Trump fell behind in the polls, he might have hoped to use this site to revive his political fortunes. However, it now has the potential to become his political downfall.

The former President’s visit to Arlington National Cemetery on Tuesday, intended to honor the 13 US personnel killed in an Afghan suicide bombing on the tragedy's third anniversary, has sparked intense controversy. The visit has created a rift among military veterans and further polarized an already divided nation.

While Trump campaign officials say he went there at the invitation of families of some of the fallen soldiers, and did something the incumbent President and vice-president could and should have done, many critics, including military veterans, say Trump was being opportunistic in using the anniversary as a photo-op to arrest his sliding election prospects, noting he did not go there in previous years.



Supporting their contention is word from cemetery officials that the Trump aides rode roughshod over their advice that the event not be politicized, and that there was an altercation over the issue when the former president arrived at the cemetery with a camera crew.

A short video film and photos of a grinning Trump showing thumbs up sign released by his camp further enraged a veterans group, which said the "whole episode is sickening and affront to all those hundreds of thousands of families who never agreed to allow their deceased loved ones to be dragged into politics."

The Trump campaign however maintained that he had been invited to the cemetery by five "gold star" families -- immediate family of military personnel killed in war -- a contention cemetery officials do not contest. They wanted to respect the wishes of grieving family members who wanted Trump there, but they were also reportedly wary of Trump’s record of politicizing such events, and so tried to warn against using cameras to film campaign material, although families are allowed to take private photos.

As it turned out, the Trump campaign did release visuals of the event, much to the chagrin of many veterans. Responding to allegation that there was a physical altercation with a female staff member at the cemetery, a Trump spokesman said it was the employee who “initiated physical contact that was unwarranted and unnecessary,” after suggesting that she was “suffering from a mental health episode.”

“For a despicable individual to physically prevent President Trump’s team from accompanying him to this solemn event is a disgrace and does not deserve to represent the hollowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery,” Trump's campaign adviser Chris LaCivita said in a statement, misspelling the word hallowed.

The US has some 16 million retired military personnel and 1.3 million serving personnel, and both parties talk them up incessantly to win their loyalty and votes. According to a 2020 poll published in the Military Times, support for Trump in the US military has been waning -- from around 40 per cent in 2016 to 37 per cent in 2020, when Biden got 41 per cent support.

With the 2024 elections throwing up a female presidential nominee, it is not clear how military families will vote. In an overtly sexist taunt, one Trump media surrogate has suggested Kamala Harris many not be able to handle the generals. Democrats however have attacked Trump for purportedly calling fallen US soldiers "suckers" and "losers," and generally disdaining sacrifices in the battlefield.

Although Trump has denied he denigrated soldiers and has accused the liberal media of cooking up such stories, there is a well-chronicled history of his disdain for war heroes and generals, at least three of whom served in his administration, and whom he has called "stupid." In political circles, he is also referred to as a "draft dodger" because he cited a foot injury (bone spurs) to weasel out of serving in the military. Most recently, Trump talked up a civilian Presidential medal of freedom he bestowed on rich political donor, saying it was better than a similar Congressional military honor given to soldiers, because many of those who receive that award are wounded or killed in combat.

"They’re either in very bad shape because they’ve been hit so many times by bullets or they’re dead. Miriam [Adelson] gets it, and she’s a healthy, beautiful woman," Trump gushed about his billionaire donor in remarks that a military veterans group described as "asinine."

(With TOI inputs)