On Monday (Aug. 26), Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump made an Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) appearance for a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The event took place to honor those who lost their lives during the 2021 airport suicide bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan.

As NPR first reported, an incident occurred after a cemetery employee attempted to inform the former head of state and his team about rules against political activities – specifically, taking campaign-related photos and video at the Northern Virginia location. According to the publication, "a physical and verbal altercation" ensued as a result. Additionally, a TikTok video later shared by Trump "likely" violated federal law.

In response to the news, a post on Truth Social claimed that family members of the fallen permitted the disgraced politician's photographer and videographer. A Trump campaign spokesman reportedly claimed that the employee was "clearly suffering from a mental health episode."

On Thursday (Aug. 29), the United States Army shared an official statement in response to the matter. "Participants in the Aug. 26 ceremony and the subsequent Section 60 visit were made aware of federal laws, Army regulations, and [Department of Defense] policies, which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds," it read. "An ANC employee who attempted to ensure adherence to these rules was abruptly pushed aside." As noted by the Department of Defense, Section 60 is an area in the cemetery mainly reserved for the graves of Iraq and Afghanistan soldiers.

The Army's statement continued, "This incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that the ANC employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked. ANC is a national shrine to the honored dead of the Armed Forces, and its dedicated staff will continue to ensure public ceremonies are conducted with the dignity and respect the nation’s fallen deserve." As no charges were filed, the Army "considers this matter closed."