Trump defends photo shoot at Arlington in back-to-back campaign appearances

Donald Trump offered an extended defense Friday of his decision to pose for photos at Arlington National Cemetery, insisting he was there at the invitation of families of military members who were killed in Afghanistan and not for a campaign event.

The former president’s remarks about Arlington at a rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and a subsequent appearance at a Moms for Liberty event in Washington, D.C., underscore how the incident has spiraled into a major embarrassment for his campaign.

“They tell me that I used their graves for public relations services, and I didn’t,” he said at the rally in Johnstown.

The Monday incident unfolded as Trump attended a memorial service at the cemetery with families of two service members killed during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Army officials said they informed the former president’s team about a federal law prohibiting the filming of partisan political advertisements at national cemeteries, and when a Trump photographer attempted to accompany the former president to the grave sites, an Army official attempted to stop them only to be pushed aside.

The incident has become the latest distraction for the former president as polls show Vice President Kamala Harris gaining momentum in the race for the presidency.

Trump faulted the White House for making his visit and photo shoot a political issue, saying he received a call from someone in the administration, who he did not identify, who told him the photos taken were for public relations purposes.

“It’s just so disgusting, and I’ll tell you, I get a lot of publicity and I don’t need that publicity,” Trump said.