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Harris says Trump campaign “disrespected” Arlington Cemetery for “the sake of a political stunt”
Vice President Kamala Harris condemned former President Donald Trump and his campaign for disrespecting a “sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt.”
In a post on X, the Democrat Party nominee said Arlington National Cemetery is a “place where we come together to honor American heroes” and it is “not a place for politics.”
These are Harris’ first comments since it was reported that an altercation between a female cemetery official and a Trump campaign staffer on Monday. Trump took part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to commemorate three years since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. He was joined by Gold Star families whose family members died.
Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images
“And yet, as was reported this week, Donald Trump’s team chose to film a video there, resulting in an altercation with cemetery staff,” Harris said on Saturday. “Let me be clear: the former president disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt.”
She added: “If there is one thing on which we as Americans can all agree, it is that our veterans, military families, and service members should be honored, never disparaged, and treated with nothing less than our highest respect and gratitude.”
The Trump campaign and Arlington National Cemetery officials differ on what exactly happened.
Different experiences, same incident
The Trump campaign said they were explicitly granted permission to bring “campaign designated media” to Section 60 of the cemetery by the Gold Star families. Messages reviewed by CBS News confirmed that the campaign was given direct permission by the families.
However, the rules at Army National Military Cemeteries are dictated by federal law which prohibits any filming for partisan, political or fundraising purposes, according to Arlington National Cemetery media policies, even if there are requests by family members of the fallen.
An Army spokesperson said all participants were made aware of the federal laws ahead of Monday’s incident.
“An ANC employee who attempted to ensure adherence to these rules was abruptly pushed aside,” the Army said. “Consistent with the decorum expected at ANC, this employee acted with professionalism and avoided further disruption.”
The incident was reported to the military police department by the Arlington Cemetery employee, who decided not to press charges. The Army told CBS News that it considers the matter closed.
The Trump campaign’s communications director, Steven Cheung told CBS News in a statement that there was “no physical altercation” and that they are prepared to release footage.
“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,” the statement said.
Republicans take aim at Harris, Dems want answers
In a post on X responding to Harris, Trump’s running mate Sen. JD Vance said: “President Trump was there at the invitation of families whose loved ones died because of your incompetence. Why don’t you get off social media and go launch an investigation into their unnecessary deaths?”
Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Tom Cotton praised Trump, saying Gold Star families had every right to invite “whomever they wanted to commemorate this solemn anniversary.”
“The real scandal is that Kamala Harris and Joe Biden condemned thirteen brave American troops to death and didn’t even have the decency to call or meet with the Gold Star families to express their condolences,” the Arkansas senator said in a statement released by Trump’s campaign.
In her own post on X, Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt blasted Harris, blaming the vice president for the deaths during the withdrawal.
“Kamala’s stupidity led to one of the most embarrassing events in American history and 13 brave US soldiers being killed. She has never said their names. She has never reached out to their families,” she said. “For this alone, Kamala does not deserve to be elected. Kamala has already proven that she would be a dangerously incompetent Commander in Chief.”
Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers with the House Oversight Committee sent a letter to the U.S. Army requesting a “full account” of the incident at the cemetery.
“It appears that the Trump campaign—which arrived at the Cemetery with a photographer and videographer—completely flouted the laws and rules they were informed of and filmed footage in the restricted area for use in a political TikTok video,” Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland wrote in a letter to Army Secretary Christine Wormuth.
Raskin requested a response from Wormuth by Sept. 9.
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Anna Sorokin, convicted con artist, appears on “Dancing With the Stars” wearing glittery ankle monitor
Los Angeles — Convicted con artist Anna Sorokin has hit the dancefloor on “Dancing With the Stars” with a featherweight – and very sparkly – ankle monitor.
The so-called “fake heiress,” who was convicted of swindling banks, hotels and friends in 2019 after falsely building a reputation as a wealthy German heiress named Anna Delvey, debuted the ballroom-worthy ankle monitor during the premiere of “Dancing With the Stars'” new season Tuesday night.
“It’s actually not a big issue at all. It’s pretty light and I asked them to make it tight so it doesn’t dangle. So it’s not so bad,” she told The Associated Press after the premiere. She and dance pro Ezra Sosa performed a routine set to Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso.”
“It’s the real star of the show, let’s be honest here,” Sosa said of Sorokin’s bedazzled ankle monitor.
“I think it’s kind of funny how people like – it’s not like an ankle weight,” Sosa said. “It’s not like 20 pounds. It’s like literally less than a pound and it’s not a big deal.”
John Carucci / AP
Sorokin acknowledged her debut didn’t go as planned.
“I feel relieved that it’s over,” she said. “I feel like my dance could have been a little bit better, but I’m happy I’ve done this and it was a great experience all over.”
Sorokin said she hopes viewers will be somewhat forgiving despite her criminal history.
“Hopefully people will give me, will give me a chance to show what I can do. And I served my time and I repaid my restitution,” she said.
Early reviews from fans weren’t positive, with the phrase “Anna Delvey’s Lackluster DWTS Debut” among those trending on the social media site X.
While she was released from prison in February 2021, immigration authorities picked her up shortly after she got out, claiming she overstayed her visa and must be returned to her native Germany. The “Inventing Anna” inspiration was in ICE custody for over a year before a judge cleared the way for her to switch to home confinement in October 2022 while she fights deportation.
Her release terms had to be amended to allow her to travel from New York to Los Angeles for filming.
While on home confinement, Sorokin has also gotten involved with a podcast and reality show.
Tupperware and some of its subsidiaries filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the once-iconic food container maker said in a statement late Tuesday.
The company has suffered from dwindling sales following a surprise surge during the COVID-19 pandemic, when legions of people stuck at home tried their hands at cooking, which increased demand for Tupperware’s colorful plastic containers with flexible airtight seals.
A post-pandemic rise in costs of raw materials and shipping, along with higher wages, also hurt Tupperware’s bottom line.
Last year, it warned of “substantial doubt” about its ability to keep operating in light of its poor financial position.
“Over the last several years, the Company’s financial position has been severely impacted by the challenging macroeconomic environment,” president and CEO Laurie Ann Goldman said in a statement announcing the bankruptcy filing.
“As a result, we explored numerous strategic options and determined this is the best path forward,” Goldman said.
The company said it would seek court approval for a sale process for the business to protect its brand and “further advance Tupperware’s transformation into a digital-first, technology-led company.”
The Orlando, Florida-based firm said it would also seek approval to continue operating during the bankruptcy proceedings and would continue to pay its employees and suppliers.
“We plan to continue serving our valued customers with the high-quality products they love and trust throughout this process,” Goldman said.
The firm’s shares were trading at $0.5099 Monday, well down from $2.55 in December last year.
Tupperware said it had implemented a strategic plan to modernize its operations and drive efficiencies to ignite growth following the appointment of a new management team last year.
“The Company has made significant progress and intends to continue this important transformation work.”
In its filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, Tupperware listed assets of between $500 million and $1 billion and liabilities of between $1 billion and $10 billion.
The filing also said it had between 50,000 and 100,000 creditors.
Tupperware lost popularity with consumers in recent years and an initiative to gain distribution through big-box chain Target failed to reverse its fortunes.
The company’s roots date to 1946, when chemist Earl Tupper “had a spark of inspiration while creating molds at a plastics factory shortly after the Great Depression,” according to Tupperware’s website.
“If he could design an airtight seal for plastic storage containers, like those on a paint can, he could help war-weary families save money on costly food waste.”
Over time, Tupper’s containers became popular that many people referred to any plastic food container as Tupperware. And people even threw “Tupperware parties” in their homes to sell the containers to friends and neighbors.
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