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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsGreg Sargent: Trump's Awful Arlington Scandal Takes Its Most Disturbing Turn Yet
Link to tweet
News --> Dems are frustrated with the Army for failing to provide the incident report and other details on Trump's Arlington scandal.
Reps Adam Smith and Jamie Raskin are now calling for a "strong official response."
Lots of new reporting on this here:
House Democrats are trying to get to the bottom of the still-murky cemetery story. Is Trump going to get away with it again?
In recent days, Donald Trump has offered a highly distorted account of the confrontation at Arlington National Cemetery over his aides use of the site as a backdrop for a slickly produced campaign video. What really happened, he has said, is that families of the fallen simply invited him to appear. There was no real confrontation, he claims, and Democrats simply made up the incident, in which his aides shoved aside an Arlington official who tried to ensure that Trump and his group followed the law and respected the prohibition against politicizing hallowed ground that many Americans revere.
Trumps account is nonsense from top to bottom. But in what may be this scandals most disturbing turn yet, its increasingly looking like Trumps campaign could get away with itbecause, Democrats say, the Army is not being forthcoming about basic details of the incident.
The Army has yet to provide Democrats in Congress with its internal incident report detailing the confrontation, even though they have been demanding it for almost two weeks, a congressional aide familiar with the situation tells me. Democrats have also demanded a blow-by-blow account of what exactly was communicated to the Trump campaign before the incident. Trump aides were warned against carrying out prohibited activities, and a full accounting would show the degree to which they knew in advance that their filming would violate specific laws and regulations. That has not been forthcoming either, the aide says.
Three senior House DemocratsRepresentatives Adam Smith, Jamie Raskin, and Mark Takanoare set to release a new statement Tuesday that increases the pressure on the Army for more information. The lawmakersranking Democrats on the Armed Services, Oversight, and Veterans Affairs committees, respectivelycall on the Army to immediately provide answers to their questions, and they urge the Army to offer a full accounting to relevant law enforcement officials who would decide if a criminal assault took place.
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brewens
(15,359 posts)If the army looking like it's interfering with the election is the concern, fuck that. No one forced Trump or his crew to cause the problem during an election. Not getting everything out would be the interference.
peppertree
(22,850 posts)Please, and Thank You.
BoRaGard
(3,450 posts)Suckers and losers, my ass.
MontanaMama
(24,120 posts)I am furious that once again the Felon and his army of thugs isn't being held accountable.
marble falls
(62,672 posts)... the only thing that will revive it if TFG is stupid enough to use footage in a campaign ad. I hope he does.
Ohioboy
(3,538 posts)Not only is it looking like he'll get away with it; he will also get away with claiming that the Democrats lied, and made it all up.
Judi Lynn
(162,670 posts)upon them and Army interests as soon as he could manage if he found a way to force a win in the election.
They would undoubtedly be more honorable about this, and supportive of the law after the election if Trump loses spectacularly.
COL Mustard
(7,041 posts)For FY25 (beginning October 1, 2024), the Army has requested $147.5M for cemetery operations. You can see the budget request here:
https://www.asafm.army.mil/Portals/72/Documents/BudgetMaterial/2025/Base%20Budget/U.S.%20Army%20Cemeterial%20Expenses%20and%20Construction/U.S.%20Army%20Cemeterial%20Expenses%20and%20Construction.pdf
magicarpet
(17,235 posts)So then it becomes socially acceptable down the road,.. as we slide down toward the destination of unrestrained Fascism.
Cha
(306,162 posts)that's Not "bizarre". It's business as usual even though they did make an Incident Report.
Do they think TSF is going to "win" and punish them?
TY
bluesbassman
(19,967 posts)The trouble is the should be covering their asses with the current Administration, not some possible one down the road.
Cha
(306,162 posts)markodochartaigh
(2,221 posts)the extremely strong response of a potential Republican administration than the comparatively mild, and proportional, response of a Democratic administration.
I also think that that should have absolutely zero effect on their actions. They routinely ask soldiers to put their lives on the line. When it comes time for them to put their career on the line it shouldn't take them two seconds to step up and do their duty. If they can't do their duty they need to step down or be removed. At this point, with democracy on the line, having higher ups who are either compromised or weak is not something that the US can afford.
bluesbassman
(19,967 posts)I get why the female staffer was reluctant to pursue charges, the odds are better than even that she was seriously threatened. But these seasoned officers. They need to step up. Period.
Blue Owl
(55,013 posts)We must nail his fat ass to the wall and continue to call out his despicable behavior
Rec
Hermit-The-Prog
(36,628 posts)dchill
(40,903 posts)Edit to add:
Press: This is fine.
Scalded Nun
(1,343 posts)I swear, we had so much better senior leadership when I was in the service. Political? For sure. - But most of them still had backbones.
usonian
(15,133 posts)Not to let this matter, and whatever coverup is going on, become another episode in "Short Attention Span Theatre", and to join with other Veterans groups in keeping this hideous crime in the spotlight.
REGARDLESS of details or even legality, it is a vile insult to veterans and service people and desecration of fallen heroes, and deserves to be held in contempt in the court of public opinion for the outrage that it is, and which CANNOT and MUST NOT be "normalized" in any way.
Cowardice is a self-fulfilling prophecy. You'll only get more abuse if you let the first abuse slide.
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