Rick Wilson rips Trump for choosing to 'dance on tombs' of soldiers during Arlington cemetery visit
WASHINGTON, DC: Rick Wilson, a former GOP strategist and co-founder of The Lincoln Project, condemned Donald Trump over his Arlington National Cemetery visit during a podcast recorded from the Crown Room of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
At various points, the former Republican struggled to maintain his composure as he slammed the former president for using the "honored graves of our military dead for a political stunt."
Rick Wilson rips into Donald Trump for staging a 'political stunt' at Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery
Rick Wilson began by emphasizing the significance of Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, describing it as "a place of enormous emotional import." This section, he noted, is where many soldiers who died in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are buried: "Young men and women, cut down in the prime of life, defending the country."
Reflecting on conversations with fellow veterans, the political strategist expressed deep disgust, labeling the situation as "revolting" and a stark reminder of "exactly how Trump feels about our veterans." He accused the GOP candidate of orchestrating a "political stunt, for a political prank," and deemed it "reprehensible."
Wilson detailed that the Trump campaign attempted to stage a "fake memorial ceremony with the agreement or connivance or cooperation" of Gold Star families, purely to accuse Vice President Kamala Harris of not attending.
Rick Wilson decries Donald Trump's desperation and moral failures
When a Department of the Army employee informed the Trump team that they were not allowed to film or take photographs in Section 60, it reportedly led to a "physical altercation," with a Trump staffer pushing the worker.
Describing the former president's actions as driven by desperation amid a declining campaign and personal struggles, The Lincoln Project co-founder stated, "He chose sacred ground ... He chose to dance on the tomb of American soldiers ... what kind of moral vacuum is inside somebody who would do that?"
Wilson, his voice breaking, conceded that he no longer expects to change the minds of Trump’s supporters, saying, "I don't expect to change any MAGA minds anymore."
He lamented the abandonment of values like rationality, honor, integrity, and patriotism, declaring, "But the elephant in the room is that your souls are forfeit when it comes down to this guy's — you've got to understand that this is something at a level that, that these ferocious angels who look down on us now will never accept."
