The U.S. Army released a heavily redacted report on Friday regarding an incident at Arlington National Cemetery involving Trump campaign staff during a visit by the former president in August.
Obtained by the nonpartisan watchdog group American Oversight, the report provides minimal details, categorizing the event as a “simple assault” while offering only a redacted account of the situation.
According to the report, a cemetery employee interacted with Trump staffers while attempting to maintain order. Specific details, however, are obscured: “While working at the Arlington National Cemetery, [REDACTED] with both of [REDACTED] hands while attempting to move past [REDACTED] did not require medical attention on scene and later refused when offered. [REDACTED] rendered a sworn statement on a DA Form 2023 and stated [REDACTED] did not want to press charges.”
The entire statement from the cemetery employee remains redacted (Document below).
Trump visited Arlington on August 26 to commemorate the anniversary of the Kabul airport attack, which resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members during the Afghanistan withdrawal.
NPR reported, citing an anonymous source, that a cemetery official attempted to prevent Trump staffers from filming in Section 60, where recently fallen soldiers are interred. According to the source, Trump aides allegedly pushed past the official.
The Trump campaign criticized the cemetery employee, suggesting they had a “mental health episode” and were trying to “physically block” the campaign team during a solemn ceremony.
In response, the Army defended the employee, stating they were enforcing rules against political activities on cemetery grounds and acted professionally to avoid further disruption. The incident was reported to the police, but the employee opted not to press charges.
The Army has since deemed the matter closed. See the entire report below: