'Morning Joe' hosts slam Trump for exploiting 'sacred' Arlington National Cemetery for political campaign

WASHINGTON, DC: Hosts of MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' delivered a scathing critique of former President Donald Trump's photographed visit to the Arlington National Cemetery, which has ignited significant outrage among veterans.

The GOP nominee's Monday, August 26 visit, marked by an uncomfortable thumbs-up photo, has drawn ire not only for the image but also for reports of a verbal and physical confrontation between Trump’s campaign staff and cemetery officials. 

The workers allegedly attempted to prevent Trump from using the visit to criticize his political opponents, a move some argue breaches federal regulations.

Jonathan Lemire and Mike Barnicle highlight the graveness of Donald Trump's actions

Jonathan Lemire, filling in for Joe Scarborough on Wednesday morning, highlighted the discomfort among military veterans regarding Donald Trump’s presence at the cemetery.

He said, "I know a lot of military veterans were very uncomfortable with the idea that Trump was there at all," before noting that "some of these veterans were sort of just aghast that even in any way, shape, or form, our Arlington National Cemetery, arguably the most sacred place in our country, was being used as a backdrop for political purposes."

Senior contributor Mike Barnicle expressed dismay over Trump’s actions, asking, "Is nothing sacred?"

He emphasized the sanctity of Arlington National Cemetery and condemned any use of this revered space for political purposes, saying, "That is sacred ground. And the idea that any candidate of any party would, intentionally or unintentionally, use that sacred ground as a prop for a political campaign is beyond condemnation."

Barnicle further lamented, "It’s terribly upsetting, obviously, to people who have buried loved ones in Arlington National Cemetery. It’s terribly upsetting to many veterans. It’s terribly upsetting to people who view it as a spectacle."

Mike Barnicle calls Donald Trump's Arlington Cemetery photo op 'terribly upsetting '

Mike Barnicle further argued that this incident should be distressing to all Americans who appreciate the sacrifices made by the military.

He said, "Most importantly, it ought to be terribly upsetting to any American who values what the military does for this country worldwide, and has done for this country for centuries, and will continue to do for this country."

Lemire also pointed out that this controversy follows Trump's recent controversial comments implying that the Medal of Freedom is "much better" than the Medal of Honor, as the latter is awarded to soldiers who are often killed or wounded in combat.

He added, "We’ve been reminded of late how Trump used to refer to veterans, even deceased soldiers, as ‘suckers and losers,’ a comment confirmed by his own chief of staff," referring to alleged remarks made by the former president ahead of a planned visit to France's Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in 2018.

In response to the backlash, Trump's campaign issued a statement from family members of veterans whose graves were featured in the controversial photo. 

Moreover, campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said, "There was no physical altercation as described, and we are prepared to release footage if such defamatory claims are made," as per The Daily Beast. 

He added, "The fact is that a private photographer was permitted on the premises, and for whatever reason an unnamed individual, clearly suffering from a mental health episode, decided to physically block members of President Trump’s team during a very solemn ceremony."

Cheung did not address requests for the said footage.