Vice President Kamala Harris expressed strong condemnation towards former President Donald J. Trump on Saturday for his recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery. The filming of his campaign activities in a restricted area led to a confrontation between one of his political aides and a cemetery official. In her first public comments on the matter, Ms. Harris criticized Mr. Trump for desecrating the solemn grounds of the cemetery, which should be free from any political activities.

Addressing the issue on X, Ms. Harris emphasized that the former president's actions showed a lack of respect for a sacred place that is meant to honor the fallen. The wreath-laying ceremony, held to commemorate 13 service members who lost their lives in a suicide bombing during the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan three years ago, was overshadowed by the presence of campaign filming.

Having visited Arlington National Cemetery multiple times as vice president, Ms. Harris made it clear that she would never exploit such a hallowed setting for campaign-related activities. She firmly stated, "It's not a place for politics."

Responding to the backlash, Mr. Trump defended his visit, claiming that he had been invited by the families of some of the fallen service members who wanted to take photos with him at the cemetery. However, representatives for the Trump campaign did not provide immediate comments on the matter. Nevertheless, his allies, including Senator JD Vance of Ohio, rushed to his defense, accusing Ms. Harris of incompetence and urging her to investigate the alleged unnecessary deaths of those service members.

The Trump campaign has consistently criticized the Biden-Harris administration's handling of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, painting it as chaotic and ineffective. While it was President Biden who made the final decision to end the 20-year military occupation, it was Mr. Trump who initially struck a deal with the Afghan Taliban, setting the timeline for the U.S. exit.

During a campaign event in Potterville, Mich., on Thursday, Mr. Trump expressed gratitude for being able to take photos with the families of the fallen service members. He accused President Biden and Vice President Harris of causing the deaths of these individuals through their alleged incompetence.

As the controversy surrounding Mr. Trump's campaign filming at Arlington National Cemetery continues, opinions remain divided. While Vice President Harris condemns the former president's actions as a violation of the sanctity of the site, Mr. Trump and his supporters assert that he was there at the request of grieving families. The clash underscores the ongoing political tension surrounding the withdrawal from Afghanistan and its subsequent consequences.

Neil Vigdor of The New York Times covers politics, with a focus on voting rights issues and election disinformation. Nicholas Nehamas is a Times political reporter who is specifically covering the presidential campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris.