Harris calls Trump's Arlington visit 'a political stunt'

US Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris lambasted former President Donald Trump on Saturday for a visit he made this week to soldiers' graves at the Arlington National Cemetery.  

She said the visit was disrespectful and a political stunt.

Arlington cemetery 'not a place for politics,' Harris says

"It is a solemn place; a place where we come together to honor American heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of this nation. It is not a place for politics," Harris wrote in an X post.

Trump was at the cemetery on Monday to take part in a wreath-laying ceremony honoring the 13 service members killed during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

During the visit, the former president posed with relatives of the service members, and his campaign team took videos and used them in advertisements.

This sparked controversy as federal law and Pentagon policies do not allow political activities at the cemetery and bar photography for political purposes.

"Let me be clear: the former president disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt," Harris wrote.

On Thursday, the US Army issued a rare statement saying that a cemetery staff member had been "abruptly pushed aside" after asking Trump's team to stop filming in a burial section for those killed in recent wars.

Trump's campaign team has sharply criticized the employee, calling her a "despicable individual."

But the military said the staff member had "acted with professionalism" and was being unfairly attacked.

'This is nothing new from Donald Trump'

In her post, Harris also referred to Trump's history of insulting military veterans.

"This is nothing new from Donald Trump. This is a man who has called our fallen service members 'suckers' and 'losers' and disparaged Medal of Honor recipients," she wrote. 

A 2020 article published by US outlet The Atlantic said Trump had called fallen soldiers "suckers" and "losers," but the former president has denied making the comments.     

Trump defends actions during visit

Trump's Arlington visit also drew criticism from some veterans and soldiers' relatives.

At a rally on Friday night, Trump said it was families of fallen troops who asked to have their picture taken with him.

"I said 'Absolutely.' I wasn't doing it for — I don't need publicity, I get a lot of publicity. I would like to get a lot less publicity," Trump said in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

Trump blamed the White House for the criticism he is drawing.

Trump has also often criticized the Biden-Harris administration's handling of the US pullout from Afghanistan.

He has argued that he would have managed the withdrawal better.

Campaign rhetoric heats up as November 5 election looms

Trump has also repeatedly mocked Harris' performance as vice president and racial identity.

In response, Harris has characterized the former president as "weird" and "out of his mind."

As the November 5 election is only a few short months away, both Harris and Trump are competing for voters of different categories, such as veterans. 

It was unclear whether incidents such as the one at Arlington would sway how veterans vote. In an April report, the Pew Research Center found that military veterans favor the Republican Party.

sri/wd (AFP, Reuters)