Actual Pictures of Trump Smiling and Giving Thumbs-Up Over Troopers' Graves?

In August 2024, a pair of images shared on-line purported to point out former U.S. President Donald Trump standing on the graves of fallen troopers whereas smiling and giving a thumbs-up. The photographs appeared to have been taken when Trump visited Arlington Nationwide Cemetery on Aug. 26 to honor U.S. Marines who have been killed in a 2021 suicide bombing on the Kabul airport through the U.S. navy withdrawal from Afghanistan. 13 American troopers died alongside greater than 100 Afghans.

An anti-Trump X account posted (archived) one of many photographs, which confirmed Trump standing subsequent to the grave of Sgt. Nicole Leeann Gee and was captioned, “Smiling thumbs up over the graves of troopers is past disgusting.” One other account’s post (archived) confirmed Trump posing in comparable vogue subsequent to the grave of Employees Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover.

The above images are genuine and have been initially shared on X by the official accounts of Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and folks affiliated with the Trump marketing campaign. As such, this declare is rated “True.”

The primary {photograph} was shared on Aug. 26 by Corey Lewandowski, who was Trump’s marketing campaign supervisor in 2016 and who returned to consult for the Trump presidential marketing campaign for 2024. 

Lewandowski wrote on X: “President @realDonaldTrump visiting @ArlingtonNatl Cemetery this morning to put wreaths with Gold Star households on the graves of our courageous males & ladies who misplaced their lives 3 years in the past right this moment through the disastrous Afghanistan withdraw in 2021. Pictured with the household of Sgt. Nicole Leeann Gee.”

The second {photograph} was shared by Cox, who was additionally within the image with Trump, although Cox didn’t give a thumbs-up. Different individuals within the {photograph} did, nonetheless, be a part of Trump in smiling and making a thumbs-up in entrance of the digicam. 

Cox wrote on Facebook:

There isn’t a better sacrifice than giving one’s life in protection of our nation. It was my solemn privilege to face alongside the household of Employees Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover at Arlington Nationwide Cemetery right this moment as we paid tribute to his legacy and the 12 others who misplaced their lives three years in the past at Abbey Gate in Afghanistan.

Two of Gee’s relations spoke in assist of Trump on the Republican Nationwide Conference in July 2024. Christy Shamblin, Gee’s mother-in-law stated, “Whereas Joe Biden has refused to acknowledge their sacrifice, Donald Trump spent six hours in Bedminster with us. He allowed us to grieve. He allowed us to recollect our heroes. Donald Trump knew all of our kids’s names. He knew their tales and he spoke to us in a means that made us really feel understood, like he knew our youngsters.”

Trump’s go to to Arlington Nationwide Cemetery generated some controversy when stories emerged that Trump’s employees had some type of altercation with a cemetery official. In accordance with an unnamed supply chatting with NPR, the official tried to cease Trump’s staffers from taking video and pictures in part of the cemetery dseignated for the burial of latest U.S. casualties.

In an announcement, Arlington officers stated solely cemetery employees members have been licensed to take images or movie, and a “report was filed” in regards to the incident:

Federal legislation prohibits political marketing campaign or election-related actions inside Military Nationwide Army Cemeteries, to incorporate photographers, content material creators or another individuals attending for functions, or in direct assist of a partisan political candidate’s marketing campaign … Arlington Nationwide Cemetery bolstered and extensively shared this legislation and its prohibitions with all members.

Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung stated no bodily altercation occurred. “We’re ready to launch footage if such defamatory claims are made,” he instructed NPR. “The very fact is {that a} personal photographer was permitted on the premises and for no matter motive an unnamed particular person, clearly affected by a psychological well being episode, determined to bodily block members of President Trump’s staff throughout a really solemn ceremony.”

Photographs in Getty Pictures’ archive present Trump taking part in a wreath-laying ceremony on the cemetery that very same day, alongside retired Marines who have been injured through the 2021 Kabul airport bombing. Former U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard additionally was present at that ceremony.

We’ve lined earlier controversial claims round Trump’s perspective towards U.S. troopers, together with one by which he allegedly known as fallen troopers “suckers” and “losers,” a declare we have been unable to independently confirm.

Sources