WASHINGTON (AP) — A soldier guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier issued a verbal reprimand to a group of advisers and staffers with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth following a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.
Video shows Hegseth taking photos on the empty steps in front of the tomb with his wife, Jennifer, chief of staff Ricky Buria, deputy chief of staff Patrick Weaver and senior adviser Tami Radabaugh.
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As the group broke from taking photos, a loud laugh could be heard, and the soldier guarding the tomb shouted that “all visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times.”
Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s top spokesman, said that “while commemorating this solemn day, a soldier correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum.”
“The Secretary and the entire Department have always honored — and will always honor — the sacrifices our military men and women have made to keep America safe,” he added.
The tomb is considered to be one of the most solemn and revered war memorials in the U.S., being the final resting place of unidentified soldiers from World War I, World War II and the Korean War. It has been guarded around the clock — rain or shine — by a soldier from the Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as “The Old Guard," since 1948.
Hegseth and his staff were at the tomb as part of a larger ceremony commemorating Veterans Day that also was attended by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
The incident comes a day after Hegseth narrowly survived an effort to impeach him by lawmakers in Congress.
The effort was led by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and backed by Democrats. However, while Hegseth's critics were not successful in Tuesday's vote, Republicans may have only delayed efforts to impeach the defense secretary. With Democrats set to take control of the House and Senate in January, those efforts are likely to be renewed.
Hegseth rebuked the effort Tuesday in his first news conference in months, arguing that he had committed none of the high crimes required in the Constitution for his removal.
A core part of his argument included the assertion that criticisms of him and his handling of the U.S. military were tantamount to an indictment against the nation’s service members and their successes.
“On the eve of Veterans Day, these resolutions tell every one of them that their service was a crime,” Hegseth said Tuesday.
“This is not patriotism,” Hegseth argued. “This is sabotage.”
Following the reprimand at Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday, the reaction from Democrats was swift.
Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Wis., said Hegseth demonstrated “his utter lack of fitness for his office.”
“One day after narrowly avoiding impeachment, he shows his contempt for our men and women in uniform by disrespecting the sanctity of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier,” she wrote in a social media post.
It was not the first time members of Trump's team have caused controversy at Arlington National Cemetery.
During his campaign for a second term, Trump attended a ceremony in 2024 to honor U.S. forces killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. A campaign staffer reportedly shoved a cemetery employee trying to prevent two people from filming and photographing the event.
Trump, who had been invited by troops’ families, later shared a video on TikTok showing him at the cemetery with a voiceover blaming the Biden administration for the “disaster” of the Afghanistan withdrawal.
U.S. law prohibits campaign or election-related activities within national military cemeteries.
