Trump Staffers Disrespect Law & Dead at Arlington.

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Donald Trump was already getting beat up by some on social media for smiling and giving a thumbs up during a photo session this week at Arlington National Cemetery, but there is now more troubling news about the former president’s stop.

Arlington National Cemetery told ABC News that an “incident” related to the photos being taken at the site took place, and a report has been filed. NPR reported Tuesday that two Trump campaign officials engaged in a verbal and physical altercation with a staff member at the cemetery.

NPR cited a source who said that a cemetery official tried to prevent Trump’s campaign staffers from filming and taking photos where military members are buried. Per the report, cemetery officials made it clear to the campaign that only cemetery staff members are authorized to film in the area. NPR reported that when the cemetery staff member tried to prevent Trump’s campaign from filming, his staffers “verbally abused and pushed the official aside.”

But Trump’s side of the story is vastly different.

Trump spokesman Steven Cheung told NPR that “a private photographer was permitted on the premises and for whatever reason an unnamed individual, clearly suffering from a mental health episode, decided to physically block members of President Trump’s team during a very solemn ceremony.”

Aside from the accusation from Arlington National Cemetery itself, multiple photos on social media appear to show Trump standing at gravesites, smiling and giving a thumbs up. The pose, at a gravesite, during a solemn occasion, created a social media stir.

“Thumbs up at the grave today,” Ron Filipkowski wrote while sharing a photo of Trump at the cemetery smiling and posing. “Nice photo op. Nobody fakes sincerity quite like Trump. Have fun, everybody. MAGA!”

There were a lot more takes like that — and many far more colorful — on Elon Musk’s X.

Trump visited the cemetery on the third anniversary of the attack on U.S. troops in Afghanistan as the U.S. withdrew its forces. Thirteen service members were killed in that attack, and Trump has blamed President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for those losses.

Biden and Harris did not attend the event, and it was originally used as a campaign point for Trump before social media picked up on the posed photos at the gravesites.

The latest report from the cemetery adds another layer to the story.

“Federal law prohibits political campaign of 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 candidate’s campaign,” a statement released by Arlington National Cemetery to ABC read. “Arlington National Cemetery reinforced and widely shared this law and its prohibitions with all participants. We can confirm there was an incident, and a report was filed.”

Cheung shared a screenshot on X that appears to show guidance that said Trump “may have an official photographer and/or videographer outside of the main media pool”.

However, per ABC, campaign officials were also taking and posting photos, including images and clips from the prohibited area — called Section 60 — in the cemetery.

Cheung claims the campaign has video of what took place and will release it if needed.

He also shared a statement from family members of two of the fallen soldiers — Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover and Sgt. Nicole Gee — thanking Trump for attending the event. That statement said Trump and his team “conducted themselves with nothing but the utmost respect and dignity for all of our service members, especially our beloved children.”