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Letter to the editor: Florida man desecrates graves of American soldiers, Brunswick Beacon


A 78-year-old, five-time indicted, convicted felon and adjudicated rapist broke another law by staging an illegal political campaign stunt after being warned not to do so by Arlington National Cemetery officials.


Federal law prohibits taking videos or photographs for “partisan, political or fundraising purposes” among the 400,000 American soldiers buried at Arlington.


When the oldest presidential nominee in U.S. history sought permission to lay a wreath at the cemetery, Pentagon officials worried Trump would turn it into a campaign stop, according to officials and internal messages reviewed by The Washington Post. They laid out guidelines to prevent politicking at the final resting place of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their nation.


On August 26, Trump arrived with photographers. When a cemetery employee tried to enforce the law, Trump’s aides verbally abused her, shoved her aside, and shot Trump’s illegal campaign video over her protests.


Trump posted video of himself attacking President Biden and Vice-President Harris while grinning and flashing a thumbs-up beside the graves of American soldiers, in clear violation of Army guidelines and Federal law prohibiting photographs and videos taken there from being used “in direct support of a partisan political candidate’s campaign."


When Trump’s desecration was reported, Trump accused the Gold Star families he accompanied of posting the illegal video, which appeared on his campaign website. “It could have been the parents,” he lied. His campaign called the cemetery employee who was doing her job “despicable” and falsely accused her of “suffering from a mental health episode.” Trump said, “These are bad people we’re dealing with.” 


Army officials called Trump’s actions a flagrant violation of law and said the employee “acted with professionalism.” Trump’s campaign called Army officials “hacks.”


Trump has no respect for the sacrifices of our fallen heroes who he calls “suckers” and “losers.” You can stop him from desecrating the Presidency again by making him a loser again in November.


Michael P. Rush 

U.S. Navy Veteran

Leland

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