U.S. Army should release report on Trump incident at Arlington cemetery

Last week, Donald Trump and his campaign crew created a shameful incident at Arlington National Cemetery, of all places. The former and possibly future U.S. president ignored rules that apply to him and everyone else.

Federal law forbids campaign activities at military cemeteries to ensure the graves of men and women who died or were wounded in combat remain sacred places. The Department of Defense says the Trump campaign had advance notice of even more specific Arlington regulations not to take photos and videos near the graves of service members killed in recent years, an area known as Section 60 visited frequently by grieving families.

In trying to enforce the Code of Federal Regulations, a female cemetery official asked someone described as a large male with the campaign not to bring cameras to the graveside event it had organized with Gold Star families. Instead, the worker was physically pushed aside. The U.S. Army said in a statement: "An A.N.C. employee who attempted to ensure adherence to these rules was abruptly pushed aside. Consistent with the decorum expected at A.N.C., this employee acted with professionalism and avoided further disruption." Trump's campaign disgracefully claimed the official had a "mental episode" and is a "despicable individual"; Trump's campaign manager called the Army employees "hacks."

Trump was attending a wreath-laying ceremony honoring 13 U.S. troops killed in a suicide bombing at Abbey Gate outside the Kabul airport during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan three years ago. He was there to throw shade on the Biden administration which oversaw the pullout Trump promised but never got done. After the event, he accompanied the families to Section 60.

Media members covering the campaign knew the rules so there is no independent footage of what happened. Trump's campaign said it would release its own video as proof the cemetery official was in the wrong; no such video has been released. The official who was pushed declined to press charges. Her higher-ups later said retaliation from Trump supporters was feared if her name came out.

The matter should have ended there with a Trump campaign apology for what happened. But on Tuesday, as criticism of the debacle increased, Trump dug himself a deeper hole. In a social media post, the Republican nominee claimed the incident never happened and that it was made up by his opponent Vice President Kamala Harris. That is just false. 

The altercation has been confirmed by both Arlington National Cemetery and U.S. Army officials. Authorities unfortunately consider the matter "closed" and will not release the incident report filed by the cemetery official. Trump says because the official doesn't want to go public, the incident never happened. 

The Army should release the incident report. This episode is not easily dismissed as campaign chum. In choosing the next commander in chief, voters need to know whether the candidates fully understand the idea of nation over self.