Brunswick Beacon, 09.05.24
You’ve probably seen photos of Trump flashing a thumbs-up and grinning while posing beside graves of fallen Marines at Arlington National Cemetery, flagrantly violating federal law against campaigning at Arlington. When a cemetery employee tried to stop him, Trump’s staff shoved her away. The Army defended her conduct, saying Trump was warned in advance.
Trump recently said the Presidential Medal of Freedom he gives wealthy campaign donors was “much better” than the Congressional Medal of Honor because soldiers who receive that are “either in very bad shape because they’ve been hit so many times by bullets or they’re dead.”
If Trump’s Arlington Tik-Tok photo-op was meant to atone for insulting veterans, it failed spectacularly.
Master Sgt. Andrew Marckesano served eight combat tours. Marckesano’s tombstone is clearly visible in Trump’s online campaign photos. Marckesano’s family criticized Trump for violating the law prohibiting campaigning at Arlington, stating, “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.”
VoteVets said,“Trump only cares about the fallen when he can exploit their sacrifice for his own gain. To him, they’re just ‘suckers and losers.’ He’s proven time and again that respect and honor mean nothing to him.”
Veterans for Responsible Leadership accused Trump of violating both the “sanctity of Arlington” as well as the “code of conduct for national military cemeteries.”
Trump's former Defense Secretary Mark Esper said, “There is no more hallowed ground in this nation than Arlington Cemetery, where we have been burying our heroes, our veterans, since the Civil War. No person or party should ever use Arlington National Cemetery or any of our cemeteries or battlefields for partisan political purposes.”
Retired Maj. General Paul Eaton said he “truly cannot think of something more repugnant than starting a political fracas on land where Gold Star families mourn. Someone who would do that should never be Commander in Chief.”
Vince Amoroso
Sunset Beach
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