Army 1st Lieutenant Jimmy McCain, son of the late Sen. John McCain(R-AZ), faked outrage at former President Donald Trump’s visit to Arlington National Cemetery despite an ad his father made there.
In an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, the younger McCain attacked Trump for honoring 13 U.S. soldiers who died in the 2021 Abbey Gate attack on Afghanistan.
McCain responded that people who are buried in the cemetery don’t “have an opinion,” and the purpose of going to the cemetery is “to show respect for those men and women who have served.”
McCain stated, “As all military personnel and those who have worn uniform know, Arlington Cemetery is sacred for all of us.” It’s a holy area. Three generations of McCains are buried in that area. This is a violation of the rules. Arlington Cemetery was created to show respect to the men and women who gave their lives in service of this country. “When you politicize it, you lose the respect of those who are there.”
McCain’s comment comes after his father had used footage of Arlington National Cemetery for a 1999 campaign advertisement.
According to the Los Angeles Times, a spokesperson from McCain’s Campaign revealed in November 1999 that footage from the graveyard would be removed.
The Army stated this week that Arizonan’s Campaign did not request permission to film the Arizonan at the cemetery. The Army stated that any request would have been denied as partisan activities are prohibited at Army installations. McCain admitted that his campaign made a mistake and wrote to the Army to say that the scenes will be removed.
The younger McCain reminded Tapper that his father “tore it down” when he mentioned his father’s use of footage from Arlington National Cemetery for an advertisement and how Trump’s trip to the cemetery “bothered” McCain’s son.
The younger McCain stated, “The first thing I know about John McCain is that you can’t be in politics for so long without making mistakes once or twice.” The main thing is that he took it down, and he knew the solemnity — the sanctified quality of Arlington National Cemetery. If Donald Trump took it down and apologized for it, that would be the right move.
NPR published an article after Trump’s visit, claiming that Trump campaign officials were involved in a “verbal and physical altercation with a cemetery employee who was trying to stop them from taking pictures and filming Section 60 of the cemetery.”
Steven Cheung, spokesman for the Trump campaign, responded to the allegations. He explained that “a private photographer was allowed on the premises.”
Cheung shared a photo on X that showed “only” Trump had been allowed “to have an official photographer or videographer outside the main media pool”.
We were granted access to have a photographer there. https://t.co/s2E9lNdksK pic.twitter.com/dXbZ03hwzB
— Steven Cheung (@TheStevenCheung) August 27, 2024
Later, Vice President Kamala Harris issued a press release criticizing Trump’s visit to the cemetery. She called it a “political ploy.”
Trump responded to Harris’s remarks by releasing videos of several family members who were affected by the deaths of 13 U.S. soldiers during the Biden administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. He criticized Harris for “playing politics” and making a statement that was “heinous” and “vile”
