Arlington cemetery official ‘abruptly pushed aside’ in Trump staff altercation won’t press charges
LA TimesBob Quackenbush, left, deputy chief of staff for Arlington National Cemetery, and former President Trump watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider at the cemetery on Monday. An Arlington National Cemetery official was “abruptly pushed aside” during an altercation with former President Trump’s staff but declined to press charges, an Army spokesman said Thursday. The Trump campaign has been facing blowback since an NPR report said that two Trump campaign staff members on Monday had “verbally abused and pushed” aside a cemetery official who tried to stop them from filming and photographing in Section 60, the burial site for military personnel killed while fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. “Arlington National Cemetery reinforced and widely shared this law and its prohibitions with all participants.” Trump’s spokesperson Steven Cheung said the team was granted access to have a photographer and disparaged the official. The Trump campaign posted a message signed by relatives of two of the service members that said “the president and his team conducted themselves with nothing but the utmost respect and dignity.” “For a despicable individual to physically prevent President Trump’s team from accompanying him to this solemn event is a disgrace and does not deserve to represent the hollowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery,” LaCivita said in a written statement, misspelling the word hallowed, and saying the cemetery official was lying.