Duckworth Statement on Donald Trump’s Disrespect of Arlington National Cemetery

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement today in response to Donald Trump’s disgraceful and dishonorable desecration of the hallowed ground at Arlington National Cemetery:

“Donald Trump’s latest incident at Arlington National Cemetery is just another example of someone who has no idea what it means to serve anything greater than himself. Arlington National Cemetery is sacred ground for those who gave their lives to defend and protect this nation, not the backdrop for a photo op that desecrates and disrespects their service. 

“This is exactly why I pushed so hard against then-President Trump’s expansion of eligibility for Presidents and Vice Presidents who never served in uniform to be buried at Arlington, like himself. Respecting the hallowed ground of Arlington should not be a partisan issue, but Donald Trump can’t help but disrespect our servicemembers and Veterans.”

In 2020, Duckworth introduced legislation to prohibit a President or Vice President who never served in the U.S. Armed Forces from being buried at Arlington National Cemetery. The Senator’s proposal came after the Trump-appointed Secretary of the Army acted to expand eligibility for burial at the hallowed ground to all Presidents and Vice Presidents—regardless of whether they had ever served in uniform—while restricting the number of eligible Veterans who actually served from being laid to honored rest there.

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