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Trump’s vice presidential running mate J.D. Vance, at a campaign stop in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, brushed off the criticism and said the Trump campaign had permission to have a photographer present during Trump’s stop at the cemetery.
Concerns about politicisation
The US military is meant to be apolitical, loyal to the US Constitution and independent of any party or political movement.
But critics accused Trump of using the military as prop and undermining Pentagon efforts to keep out of politics during his four years in office from 2017-2021.
While in office, Trump intervened and restored the rank of a Navy SEAL convicted of posing with the corpse of an Islamic State detainee and threatened to use US troops to put down protests around the country.
Since leaving office Trump has berated some military officials.
The Arlington cemetery incident has revived fears among some officials and experts that Trump could use the military for political purposes if he wins a second term.
Trump and others watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider on Monday.Credit: AP
“We really did not want to get involved in this,” said a US military official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“But what happened [at Arlington] is not acceptable.”
The army has said that it considers the matter closed since the employee did not press charges.
“It definitely puts the military in a position they’re trying to avoid,” said Kori Schake, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.
Impact on veteran voters?
A post on TikTok by Trump shows images of him near tombstones in Section 60 at the cemetery, sometimes smiling and giving a thumbs up with the family of at least one service member killed in Afghanistan.
A number of veterans have criticised Trump, calling the move disrespectful.
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“This is no way for a government official or political candidate to conduct themselves on the sacred ground of Section 60 at Arlington,” retired US Navy Admiral James Stavridis said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“The final resting place of so many heroic Americans – including some who died under my command – is not a political prop,” Stavridis added.
Whether the move will sway veterans on election day was unclear.
In a report published in April, the Pew Research Center found that military veterans favour the Republican Party, with 63 per cent of respondents identifying with or leaning Republican.