UNITED STATES NEWS

Army releases redacted police report on altercation during Trump’s Arlington cemetery visit

Oct 25, 2024, 2:15 PM | Updated: 3:23 pm

FILE - Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, center and Misty Fuoco, left,...

FILE - Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, center and Misty Fuoco, left, sister of Nicole Gee, place their hands over their heart after placing a wreath in honor of Sgt. Nicole Gee at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider at Arlington National Cemetery, Aug. 26, 2024, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Army has released an almost entirely redacted version of the police report describing when a staffer for Donald Trump’s campaign reportedly shoved an Arlington National Cemetery employee who was trying to prevent them from photographing a ceremony to honor service members killed in the Afghanistan War withdrawal.

Federal law prohibits campaign or election-related activities within Army national military cemeteries. The four sentences visible in the executive summary of the report released under court order Friday block out a key word that appears to describe the Trump campaign staffer shoving the cemetery employee out of the way.

It does say the Trump staffer used both hands while trying to move past the cemetery employee. Both the names are redacted, and the sworn statement the cemetery worker gave to police is completely blacked out.

Officials previously said the former president’s staffer pushed the cemetery worker when she was trying to prevent two people from filming and photographing Trump’s visit in August to gravesites in Section 60, a hallowed section where U.S. forces killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are buried.

The report says the cemetery worker declined medical treatment and said she did not want to press charges.

A lawsuit demanding the release of the police report was filed by Washington-based government transparency group American Oversight, and a federal judge ordered it be made public by Friday. The group posted the report on its website.

Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, is in a tight race against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and the altercation raised questions about the politicization of the military by his campaign.

Trump was at the cemetery at the invitation of service members’ families and brought staff to document the visit. He later shared a video from it on TikTok. The video showed scenes of him at the cemetery and includes a voiceover of the Republican presidential nominee blaming the Biden administration for the “disaster” of the withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021.

Chioma Chukwu, interim executive director of American Oversight, said in a statement that the group is pleased it was able to get the report released so that the public can see “that there is still an ongoing federal law enforcement investigation into the August incident at Arlington National Cemetery.”

Chukwu said the conduct of Trump and his staff “aligns with his history of politicizing the military and violating clear ethical boundaries, and it’s time for the public to have all the facts.”

In a letter accompanying the report, Army senior counsel Paul DeAgostino said the redactions were done to protect personal privacy and information compiled for law enforcement purposes. He said the records are part of an ongoing investigation and their release “could reasonably be expected to interfere with ongoing enforcement proceedings.”

The Army echoed DeAgostino’s comment, saying in a statement that it released the report to comply with the court order, adding that the police investigation “remains open and we are therefore unable to provide further information at this time.”

The employee declined to press charges, so it is unclear what law enforcement proceedings are ongoing.

Families of three of the service members killed in a suicide bombing during the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal had invited Trump to a ceremony marking the third anniversary of the attack. They said the former president knew their children’s stories and have blamed the Biden administration for their deaths.

Some of the families of those service members spoke out in support of Trump at the Republican National Convention in July, in part to blunt criticism that Trump wasn’t supportive enough of veterans.

In previous comments, the Trump campaign has claimed the Republican presidential nominee’s team was granted access to have a photographer, contested the allegation that a campaign staffer had pushed the cemetery official and pushed back on any notion that the cemetery official had been unfairly targeted.

A defense official previously said the Trump campaign was warned about not taking photographs in Section 60 before their arrival and the altercation.

During a campaign event in Michigan several days after the incident, Trump said family members had asked to take a photo with him at the cemetery.

“They ask me to have a picture, and they say I was campaigning,” he complained without addressing the TikTok video.

United States News

FILE - In this photo reviewed by U.S. military officials, flags fly at half-staff at Camp Justice, ...

Associated Press

Newly unsealed documents reveal more details of prosecutors’ evidence in 9/11 attacks

WASHINGTON (AP) — Newly unsealed documents give one of the most detailed views yet of the evidence gathered on the accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, including how prosecutors allege he and others interacted with the hijackers who carried out the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. The summaries of evidence released Thursday include Mohammed’s own statements […]

3 minutes ago

Associated Press

Monkey, see: A baby silvered langur goes on view at the Bronx Zoo

NEW YORK (AP) — A new resident is monkeying around at New York’s Bronx Zoo. The zoo announced Thursday that a male baby silvered langur is now on exhibit. He joined a group of adults of the same species — and brought a splash of bright orange to the depths of winter. Silvered langurs are […]

23 minutes ago

Associated Press

22 states sue New York state, alleging environmental fund is unconstitutional

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Twenty-two states sued New York state on Thursday, contending that a new law forcing a small group of major energy producers to pay $75 billion into a fund to cover climate change damage is unconstitutional. The lawsuit, filed in Albany, New York, lists Attorney General Letitia James and other state officials […]

24 minutes ago

FILE - Chairman of the Virginia State Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, ap...

Associated Press

Virginia’s Democratic-led House and Senate pass separate proposals for amending the state budget

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia’s Democratic-led Senate and House of Delegates debated tax relief and economic stability Thursday before passing separate plans for amending the two-year state budget, laying the groundwork for negotiations by lawmakers on an eventual spending plan to send to Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Both chambers signed off on amendments that would […]

34 minutes ago

Associated Press

Trump delievered on his promise to order a ban on transgender female athletes. What’s next?

Donald Trump, the candidate, pledged to get “transgender insanity the hell out of our schools” and “keep men out of women’s sports.” Donald Trump, the president, wasted little time delivering on his promise to address a topic that seemed to resonate across party lines. Trump issued an executive order signed another on Wednesday titled “ […]

40 minutes ago

FILE - Elon Musk listens as Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at...

Associated Press

DOGE was tasked with stopping Treasury payments to USAID, AP sources say

WASHINGTON (AP) — Officials working with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency sought access to the U.S. Department of Treasury payment system to stop money from flowing to the U.S. Agency for International Development, according to two people familiar with the matter. DOGE’s efforts to stop USAID payments undermine assurances that the department gave to […]

60 minutes ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Asset Preservation Wealth & Tax

How to optimize the most money in 2024 tax returns

As tax season begins, getting your financials in order is important to maximize your tax return.

...

The UPS Store

How The UPS Store is giving back to the community

PHOENIX -- As 2024 nears a close, The UPS Store is looking to give back to the Arizona community with the holiday season approaching.

...

Day & Night Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing

Why a Heating Tune-Up is Essential Before Winter

PHOENIX, AZ — With cooler weather on the horizon, making sure your heating system is prepped and ready can make all the difference in staying comfortable this winter.

Army releases redacted police report on altercation during Trump’s Arlington cemetery visit