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Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) sharply criticized Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday after reports of a confrontation involving former President Donald Trump at Arlington National Cemetery.
According to a report on New York Post, Vance told Harris she “can go to hell” if her team intended to use the incident to criticize Trump for attending a ceremony honoring 13 servicemembers who died during the Afghanistan withdrawal.
The controversy arose after the Trump campaign reportedly clashed with a cemetery official who sought to prevent them from filming and photographing in Section 60, the burial site for those killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. Harris’s spokesperson, Michael Tyler, described the incident as “pretty sad” and “not surprising.”
During a campaign event in Erie, Pa., Vance expressed frustration and accused Harris of neglecting to address the circumstances of the servicemembers' deaths, asserting that no investigation or accountability measures have been taken. He suggested Harris’s focus on the cemetery incident was misplaced.
Vance dismissed media coverage of the confrontation as exaggerated, claiming it misrepresented the situation. According to NPR, Trump campaign staff allegedly verbally abused and pushed aside a cemetery official. The Arlington National Cemetery confirmed that an incident occurred, noting that federal law prohibits political campaign activities at military cemeteries.
The Trump campaign countered, with communications director Steven Cheung asserting that there was no physical altercation and attributing the confrontation to a “mental health episode” of the cemetery staff member. Darin Hoover, a Gold Star family member, supported the Trump campaign’s account, alleging the cemetery staff’s version was false and asserting that Trump’s support was welcomed by the families.
In Erie, Vance’s military background and veteran status were seen as assets, with supporters emphasizing his appeal to military voters and his commitment to veterans' issues.
[Information sourced from New York Post]
