Family members of soldiers killed in Afghanistan withdrawal say the presidential candidate was invited to attend the ceremony and to âhear our stories.â
Former President Donald Trump posted videos of family members of fallen soldiers responding to Vice President Kamala Harrisâs criticism of his recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery.
âIf there is one thing on which we as Americans can all agree, it is that our veterans, military families, and service members should be honored,â Harris wrote. âThe former president disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt.â
Responding to the criticism, Trump on Sunday uploaded videos of eight family members of soldiers killed in Afghanistan.
âOur sons and daughters made the best of a difficult situation, as they had been trained to do,â Darin Hoover said.
He refuted claims that the Trump team entered into an altercation with the cemetery staff.
âThere was also not an assault that we observed take place, nor did we hear it,â he said. âI donât know where this is coming from.â
âWe invited him to be there,â he said. âWhy did we want Trump there? That wasnât to help his political campaign. We wanted a leader.â
âWe welcomed them that day and they were a comfort to our family,â she said.
âItâs been three years since my son was killed in action,â he said, and he hasnât seen âany support from you or your administration.â

A U.S. Marine helps an infant over a barbed-wire fence during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 19, 2021. Courtesy of Omar Haidiri/AFP via Getty Images
Disputed Incident
A spokesperson from the Arlington National Cemetery told The Epoch Times that there was an âincidentâ during the Aug. 26 event.
âFederal law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, to include photographers, content creators or any other persons attending for purposes, or in direct support of a partisan political candidateâs campaign,â the spokesperson stated.
Steven Cheung, a spokesman for the Trump campaign, told The Epoch Times that there was âno physical altercation as described, and we are prepared to release footage if such defamatory claims are made.â
A private photographer was permitted on the cemetery premises but an unnamed individual physically blocked members of the Trump team, he stated while accusing the person of âclearly suffering from a mental health episode.â
Meanwhile, Trumpâs running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), also criticized Harrisâs post.
âOver the past three years, our Administration has demonstrated we can still eliminate terrorists, including the leaders of al-Qaeda and ISIS, without troops deployed into combat zones. I will never hesitate to take whatever action necessary to counter terrorist threats and protect the American people and the homeland,â she said.
Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
Original News Source Link – Epoch Times
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