Over the weekend, former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard took a strong stand on CNN, defending former President Donald Trump against what she called false claims about his recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery. The visit, which took place alongside Gold Star Families to honor the 13 U.S. service members who died during the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal, has sparked controversy, with some media outlets accusing Trump of politicizing the event.
Gabbard, who has since left the Democratic Party after her 2020 presidential run against Kamala Harris, called out CNN host Dana Bash for pushing the narrative that Trump was using the visit as a campaign photo op.
According to Gabbard, this portrayal is misleading and unfounded. She emphasized that Trump had received approval from Arlington National Cemetery officials to bring a camera crew to document the solemn ceremony, a fact that mainstream media outlets have largely ignored.
“I checked with the campaign on this question and they have exchanges with the officials at Arlington Cemetery. They were approved to bring a camera there to document this historic and momentous day that should not be forgotten by any American,” Gabbard stated on CNN’s State of the Union program. She pointed out that while Trump made the effort to honor these fallen service members, Vice President Harris has yet to reach out to their families, even three years after the tragic events in Afghanistan.
Gabbard went further, highlighting the disconnect between Harris’s public statements and her actions. “Now to have Kamala Harris put this statement out yesterday saying that she stands with these families, she stands with the military and with veterans — you only have to look at the response that came from the Gold Star families of these 13 service members of how offended they were by that statement,” Gabbard remarked.
She criticized Harris for failing to make any personal effort to offer condolences or apologies to the families impacted by the decisions that led to the loss of their loved ones.
As a former soldier, Gabbard expressed her deep respect for the Gold Star Families who defended Trump’s visit and thanked him for honoring their fallen loved ones. She also took issue with the lack of media coverage surrounding the third anniversary of these service members’ deaths, arguing that this should have been the focus, rather than the controversy over Trump’s visit.
“What is more outrageous to me is that there wasn’t universal coverage of the momentous day of the third anniversary of the loss of these 13 Gold Star families,” Gabbard said. She emphasized that the real outrage should be over the failure to properly honor and remember the sacrifices made by these brave service members.
Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, backed up Gabbard’s claims, stating that the campaign had indeed been given permission to film the ceremony. He also defended the presence of a private photographer, dismissing the actions of a cemetery worker who had attempted to block Trump’s team during the event as the result of a “mental health episode.” Cheung indicated that the campaign is prepared to release footage if necessary to refute any defamatory claims.
