In a scathing statement on X, Vice President Kamala Harris denounced former President Donald Trump and his campaign for their actions at the Arlington National Cemetery. Harris accused Trump of "disrespecting sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt." She emphasized that honoring veterans, military families, and service members should be an unequivocal priority for all Americans, stressing the need for utmost respect and gratitude.

Harris called out Trump to never again stand behind the seal of the President of the United States of America in the aftermath of the incident at the cemetery. This comes after the U.S. Army reported that a member of Trump's campaign staff had rudely pushed aside a cemetery staff member to facilitate photo and video opportunities with bereaved families of service members who lost their lives during the U.S. military's withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. The incident transpired in Section 60 of the cemetery, where such media capture is typically prohibited.

During an interview with NBC News, Trump defended his actions, claiming that a family had requested a picture at their loved one's gravesite. He insisted that he did not ask for photos and videos but said, "While I was there, they said, 'Sir, could we have a picture at the grave?'"

In response to Harris's remarks, Trump's running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance took to X, stating that Trump was present at the cemetery at the invitation of families who lost their loved ones due to alleged incompetence. Vance suggested that Harris divert her attention away from social media and launch an investigation into the deaths of these service members.

Meanwhile, Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt penned her own post on X, blaming Vice President Harris for the soldiers' deaths during the Afghanistan withdrawal, which occurred under the Biden administration. Leavitt accused Harris of contributing to an embarrassing chapter in American history and deemed her unfit for the role of Commander in Chief.

The clash between Vice President Harris and former President Trump highlights the deepening political divisions over the handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal, with both sides vehemently defending their actions while pointing fingers at one another. The visit to the sacred grounds of Arlington National Cemetery has become a contentious battleground where national mourning and partisan politics collide.