JD Vance downplays ‘altercation’ at Arlington cemetery as ‘little disagreement’

JD Vance, the Republican vice presidential contender, denied that two members of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign had an altercation with an official at Arlington National Cemetery earlier this week.
During a campaign event in Erie, Pennsylvania on Wednesday, Vance downplayed the incident, accusing the press of exaggerating it. He blamed the media for turning the whole incident “into a national news story”.
The Ohio Senator, however, admitted that “apparently somebody at Arlington Cemetery, some staff member, had a little disagreement with somebody,” according to The Associated Press.
“The altercation at Arlington cemetery is the media creating a story where I don’t really think there is one,” he stated.
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Meanwhile, Donald Trump shared a campaign video on TikTok showing him visiting graves, posing for pictures with Gold Star families, and taking part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Arlington National Cemetery.
The visit commemorated the third anniversary of an attack on American forces during the exit of United States from Afghanistan following Taliban’s takeover.
In the video, Trump can be heard making a political remark, boasting that the US “didn’t lose one person in 18 months” in Afghanistan under his administration. He called the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan a “disaster” that led to the killing of 13 soldiers under Joe Biden’s presidency. “Should have never happened,” read the video caption.
Reporting about the alleged altercation, NPR cited a source claiming that two members of Trump team “verbally abused and pushed the [cemetery] official aside” after the cemetery staff informed the campaign that only their officials are permitted to take photos or video in Section 60.
The cemetery later confirmed the “incident” and also submitted a report.
Responding to the NPR report, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung dismissed any physical altercation, asserting that they are ready to “release footage if such defamatory claims are made.”