An incident occurred on Monday during former President Donald Trump's visit to Arlington National Cemetery with Gold Star families whose loved ones had perished during the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan. Arlington National Cemetery officials have confirmed the occurrence and filed a report following Trump's wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, commemorating the third anniversary of the Kabul suicide bombing that claimed the lives of 13 service members during the chaotic pullout from Afghanistan.

During his visit, Trump also made his way to Section 60, the resting place for veterans of the post-9/11 conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Trump campaign claims to have received explicit permission from the Gold Star families to bring "campaign designated media" to Section 60, a contention supported by messages reviewed by CBS News.

However, federal law dictates the rules at Army National Military Cemeteries, even in the presence of requests by the families of fallen soldiers, according to Arlington National Cemetery's media policies. The cemetery has emphasized and widely shared this law and its prohibitions with all participants.

Trouble brewed at Section 60 when an interaction unfolded between Trump campaign staffers and a cemetery official, according to multiple sources. The cemetery released a statement clarifying that political campaign or election-related activities, including photographers and content creators, are not permitted within Army National Military Cemeteries. The cemetery had reinforced these regulations and their scope to all attendees beforehand.

Sources, reported by NPR, suggest that two members of the Trump campaign engaged in a verbal and physical altercation with an official. Defense officials, speaking to CBS News, alleged that some campaign staff exhibited unprofessional behavior, becoming aggressive both verbally and physically towards the cemetery official.

In response, Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung denied the claims, stating, "There was no physical altercation as described, and we are prepared to release footage if such defamatory claims are made." Cheung went on to explain that a private photographer had been permitted on the premises and that an unnamed individual, who seemed to be experiencing a mental health episode, hindered members of Trump's team during the solemn occasion.

The campaign shared a statement from Cheryl Juels, the aunt of fallen Marine Nicole Gee, thanking Trump for his presence and stating, "We absolutely welcomed and appreciated having video and photography there with us."

When pressed for further details about the incident, Arlington National Cemetery declined to provide additional information to protect the identity of the involved individual.

This incident at Arlington National Cemetery has generated renewed attention regarding President Trump's previous controversial remarks about military service, such as derogatory comments directed towards captured or deceased service members. Though the Trump campaign denies these accusations, multiple current and former U.S. military service members have attested to Trump's use of such language.

As part of their efforts to reach out to the military community, the Trump campaign has organized events like the visit to Arlington National Cemetery and a speech at the National Guard Association of the United States conference in Detroit on Monday, aimed at directly engaging with service members and their families.