Army ordered to release records of Trump's visit to Arlington Cemetery

A federal judge has ordered Army officials to release their records by the end of the week regarding President Donald Trump's controversial visit to Arlington National Cemetery this summer.

Senior Judge Paul Friedman of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Tuesday granted the request for release in a lawsuit filed by American Oversight, a nonpartisan, nonprofit group dedicated to bringing government to disclose the documents.

The group sued to have the documents made public following a Freedom of Information Act request.

With just two weeks until the election, the American people have a clear and compelling interest in how the government responded to an alleged incident involving a major presidential candidate who has a history of politicizing the military, Executive Director Chioma Chukwu of the group,” said in a statement following the order.

The legal battle stems from Trump's visit to the famous military cemetery on August 26.

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The former commander in chief and Republican presidential candidate visited the site as part of an event commemorating the anniversary of the deaths of 13 U.S. service members in a terrorist attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport in 2021 , during the chaotic final days of the war. American military mission in Afghanistan.

At the invitation of some of the survivors' family members, Trump participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, then visited Section 60 of the cemetery, where many soldiers killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Photos of Trump smiling and giving a thumbs-up sign next to military headstones were later used in campaign spots. Additionally, Army officials said, a staffer who tried to stop campaign workers from filming in the area was abruptly pushed away by a Trump campaign staffer.

This individual, who has not been publicly identified, chose not to file a complaint. Army officials decried the incident, as Trump was warned that federal laws, Army regulations and Department of Defense policies clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds.

But they also said they would not pursue further reprimands or sanctions, and did not release further details about the incident. Several Democratic lawmakers have called for the full release of the military's report on the visit.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing, and his team has released several statements from families of fallen soldiers involved in the visit, who praised the former president for his kindness and concern for their struggles.

Trump campaign officials also initially promised to release video proving they followed all proper cemetery rules, but have so far refused to provide such proof.

The previously unreleased Army records could provide more insight into the level of confrontation between Trump employees and cemetery staff that day, and whether the former president helped calm or escalate the situation.

Tuesday's court order calls on Army officials to make responsive, non-exempt documents public, which could allow military officials to continue to protect the identity of the employee who claims to have been assaulted.

Army officials did not provide an immediate timeline on how the information might be released to the public.

Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, DC since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned him numerous honors, including a Polk Award in 2009, a National Headliner Award in 2010, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism Award and the VFW News Media Award.

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