The families of two fallen soldiers have issued a statement in appreciation of former President Donald Trump's attendance at Arlington Cemetery for the three-year anniversary of the Abbey Gate bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan.
On Monday, Trump attended the third anniversary of the bombing which coincided with the country's withdrawal from its 20-year war with Afghanistan that left 13 United States service members dead.
The statement was issued by fallen Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover's parents Darin Hoover and Kelly Barnett along with fallen Sgt. Nicole Gee's mother-in-law Christy Shamblin, aunt Cheryl Juels, and sister Misty Rose Fuoco.
"We would like to express our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to President Donald J. Trump for his presence at the recent section 60 gathering, honoring our children and their fallen brothers and sisters on the three-year anniversary of the Abbey Gate bombing," the statement reads. "The president and his team conducted themselves with nothing but the utmost respect and dignity for all of our service members, especially our beloved children." Statement from the families who were at Arlington National Cemetery with President Trump when Cemetery staff and NPR coordinated to lie about Trump’s staff.
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— Travis (@Travis_4_Trump) August 28, 2024
"We had given our approval for President Trump's official videographer and photographer to attend the event, ensuring these sacred moments of remembrance were respectfully captured and so we can cherish these memories forever," the statement continued. "We are deeply grateful to the president for taking the time to honor our children and for standing alongside us in our grief, offering his unwavering support during such a difficult time."
"His compassion and respect meant more than words can express," the families concluded.
The statement follows claims of a verbal altercation between Trump's staff with officials at Arlington National Cemetery reported by corporate media outlets.
According to the claim, two members of Trump's campaign staff had a "verbal and physical altercation" with a cemetery official who reportedly attempted to stop Trump's staff from filming and photographing the event. According to NPR, former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign staff had a verbal and physical altercation with an official at Arlington National Cemetery. #Trump #ArlingtonNationalCemetary pic.twitter.com/pFWxTlfNpx
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When the cemetery official attempted to stop Trump's campaign staff, the official was met with verbal abuse and pushed aside, one source claimed to NPR.
"The fact is 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," Trump campaign's spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement.
Arlington National Cemetary confirmed "there was an incident, and a report was filed" in a separate statement to NPR.
"Federal law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemetaries, to include photographers, content creators or any other persons attending for purposes, or in direct support of a partisan political candidate's campaign," the cemetery's statement reads. "Arlington National Cemetery reinforced and widely shared this law and its prohibitions with all participants."
