Trump Arlington cemetery incident still under investigation: Sources
Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump at a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, Aug. 26, 2024, in Arlington, Va. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Law enforcement officials at a Virginia military base are still actively investigating an August incident at Arlington National Cemetery involving what has been described as a confrontation between former President Donald Trump’s campaign and a cemetery worker, even as the Army says it considers the matter closed, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
As part of the probe led by the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall Police Department, an investigator with the base’s police department has sought in recent days to contact Trump campaign officials about the incident, the sources said.
Investigators are seeking to interview the officials involved in the incident, according to the sources.
Stanley Woodward, a lawyer representing the Trump campaign officials, declined to comment when reached by ABC News.
Although the Army oversees Arlington National Cemetery, law enforcement is handled by Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Virginia, as a neighboring base. The base’s police department falls under the Army in an administrative capacity, but operates as a law enforcement agency and is staffed by federal law enforcement officers, not military police.
“The investigation is ongoing at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall by base authorities,” a defense official told ABC News in a statement that indicates the Army is not directing the probe.
Last month, the Trump campaign was accused of engaging in a physical and verbal altercation with a staffer at Arlington National Cemetery while the former president was there to mark the third anniversary of the deaths of 13 service members in Afghanistan. Trump’s aides filmed a campaign video in a section of the cemetery where recently fallen service members are buried.
Federal law prohibits campaigns from using the military cemetery for political campaigning or election-related activities.
Trump’s campaign insisted its aides acted appropriately and promised to release video they said would exonerate its staff. That video has not been released.
In the days following the incident, the Army defended the cemetery staffer, saying the person had been “unfairly attacked” — but also said that it considered the matter closed.
“The incident was reported to the JBM-HH police department, but the employee subsequently decided not to press charges. Therefore, the Army considers this matter closed,” an Army spokesperson said on Aug. 29, three days after the incident. “This incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that the [Arlington National Cemetery] employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked.”
When asked for comment on Monday, an Army spokesperson referred ABC News to its Aug. 29 statement. Base authorities at the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Separately, however, the Army on Monday acknowledged the case is still being investigated when it explained why it is blocking the release of documents related to the incident.
In a letter responding to a request filed by ABC News under the Freedom of Information Act, the Army said documents couldn’t be released yet because “those documents are part of an open investigation.”
(WILMINGTON, N.C.) — Former President Donald Trump is returning to the key battleground state of North Carolina on Saturday amid a major controversy revolving around North Carolina’s Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson, who the former president had previously supported and called “Martin Luther King on steroids.”
Robinson, the sitting Republican lieutenant governor of North Carolina, allegedly posted inflammatory comments on a message board of a pornography website more than a decade ago, according to a report out Thursday from CNN.
Robinson is not expected to attend Saturday’s rally, though sources caution plans could always change. Trump has not given any indication that he intends to pull his endorsement of Robinson.
The controversy has become a new headache for Trump in the final stretch of the 2024 election cycle.
Trump has campaigned for Robinson multiple times this election cycle, including inviting him to speak at his rallies in North Carolina this year and hosting him at his Mar-a-Lago estate for a fundraiser last year. Also, Trump’s advisers are keenly aware just how important battleground North Carolina is for the former president’s victory in November.
People close to the former president told ABC News that they were bracing for the Robinson story on Thursday. Sources said the campaign was planning to put more distance between Trump and Robinson, but initially did not have plans to call on him to drop out.
“President Trump’s campaign is focused on winning the White House and saving this country. North Carolina is a vital part of that plan,” Trump campaign’s National Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote in a statement to ABC News in response to allegations about Robinson.
When it comes to winning North Carolina, the Trump campaign “will not take our eye off the ball,” Leavitt said.
Trump has yet to make any direct comment on the Robinson controversy. His running mate Sen. JD Vance dodged reporters’ questions about it on Thursday, later, in a post on X, he repeated attacks on Harris as his “comment on Mark Robinson.”
Among the controversial comments Robinson allegedly made online many years ago, according to CNN’s reporting, is one comment where he allegedly referred to himself as a “black NAZI!” CNN reports the comments were made by Robinson between 2008-2012 under the username “minisoldr” on “Nude Africa,” a pornographic website that includes a message board.
ABC News has not confirmed this reporting or the online username alleged to be linked to him.
Robinson has denied he made the comments and claimed the allegations were “salacious tabloid lies.” Defending his character, Robinson vowed to stay in the race as the deadline to drop out as a candidate in North Carolina approached on Thursday.
While Robinson’s alleged past comments online have received a lot of attention, so too have Trump’s past comments in support of Robinson.
“This is Martin Luther King on steroids,” Trump said at a rally in March 2024 while campaigning in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Taking the stage after Robinson’s speech, Trump said, “I told that to Mark. I said, ‘I think you’re better than Martin Luther King. I think you are Martin Luther King times two.'”
Trump later said he was “outstanding” and set to “be the next governor” of North Carolina.
In December 2023, at a private Mar-a-Lago fundraiser supporting Robinson, Trump said people should “cherish” Robinson like a “fine wine.”
“We have to cherish Mark. We have to cherish him. It’s like a fine wine, because that’s what you have, you have a fine wine,” Trump said in a social media video posted by North Carolina politician Robert Ward, who attended the fundraiser.
Trump further called Robinson an “outstanding person” that he “got to know fairly quickly,” asking donors gathered at his property to donate to Robinson and to get out and vote because he has a “tough opponent.”
“You got to help him financially, because you all people that have a lot of money — I know, rich as hell. So anything you were going to do, quadruple it,” Trump said.
Trump campaigned with Robinson twice at his North Carolina rallies in August. In Asheville, on Aug. 14, Robinson was the final speaker of the pre-programming prior to Trump’s arrival, and Trump called him a “good man” and a “fighter” in a relatively short shout out.
“I want to thank a very good man, and he’s in there fighting,” Trump said about Robinson. “… We know he’s a fighter. The next governor of North Carolina, Mark Robinson. Thanks, Mark. This is Mrs. Robinson. Thank you. They’re a great, great couple. Thank you both.”
In Asheboro, on Aug. 21, Robinson did not speak on stage, but Trump gave him a shout out during his speech and briefly brought him on stage.
The Harris campaign has been capitalizing on Trump and Robinson’s relationship on social media, firing off a series of posts featuring Trump’s praising past comments on Robinson and calling them “best friends.”
On Friday, the Harris campaign released a new ad that seeks to tie Trump to Robinson, saying “they’re both wrong for North Carolina.”
The ad, which will air in North Carolina, features past clips of Trump praising Robinson. The 30-second spot also highlights Robinson’s hard-line comments on abortion.
The ad does not include the alleged comments and conduct outlined in CNN’s article.
ABC News’ Fritz Farrow, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim and Will McDuffie contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — The House voted Wednesday to pass a bill that funds the federal government until Dec. 20 and averts a government shutdown at the end of the month.
Once again, Democrats helped Republicans get the bill over the finish line, with all Democrats voting for the bill and 82 Republicans voting against it.
Speaker Mike Johnson’s push to pass a funding measure that included the SAVE Act — a bill that would have required proof of citizenship to vote — failed last week due to Democratic opposition and several Republican defections. Earlier Johnson had pulled it from the floor when it was clear he didn’t have the votes to get it passed.
Before the vote, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries pointed out that it has been House Democrats that have helped Republicans avoid shutdowns during the current Congress.
“Can anyone name a single thing that extreme MAGA Republicans in the House have been able to do on their own to make life better for the American people? A single thing? Just one,” he asked. “Can the American people name a single thing that extreme MAGA Republicans have done to make their lives better? Zip, zero. So that is the track record that will be presented to the American people,” he said.
Former President Donald Trump had called on congressional Republicans to allow the government to shut down over the SAVE Act.
Johnson told ABC News, “I am not defying President Trump” when asked if the former president approved of the new solution to avoid a shutdown.
“I’ve spoken with him at great length, and he is very frustrated about the situation,” Johnson said at his weekly press conference on Tuesday. “His great concern is election security, and it is mine as well. It is all of ours.”
Johnson asserted Trump “understands the current dilemma” with House Republicans and said, “there’s no daylight between us.”
The White House and congressional Democrats all slammed Johnson’s attempt to tie the voter eligibility legislation to government funding, noting that it’s already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections.
But the “clean” short-term measure to avert a shutdown was praised by Democratic leaders and the Biden administration.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the Senate would “immediately move” to pass the measure as soon as the House sends it over, and “if all goes well in the House, the Senate should be sending President Biden a bill before the end of today.
“Americans can breathe easy that because both sides have chosen bipartisanship, Congress is getting the job done,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “We will keep the government open. We will prevent vital government services from needlessly coming to a halt. We will give appropriators more time to fully fund the government before the end of the year. And I’m especially pleased we’re getting the job done with some time to spare.”
In addition to funding the government through Dec. 20, the bill includes funds to replenish FEMA and $231 million for the U.S. Secret Service in the wake a second apparent assassination attempt against Trump.
The White House Office of Management and Budget on Tuesday released a statement calling for “swift passage of this bill in both chambers of the Congress to avoid a costly, unnecessary Government shutdown.”
ABC News’ Allison Pecorin contributed to this report.
Rep. Matt Gaetz looks on during a news conference about unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) transparency on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Nov. 30, 2023. — Drew Angerer/Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — A group with ties to former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, which has spent millions targeting Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz ahead of his congressional primary this week, concedes that the MAGA firebrand will likely win big on Tuesday — but those close to the group say their efforts will extend beyond that race and claim they have put a dent in Gaetz’s long-rumored plans to run for statewide office.
The effort marks the latest chapter in the ongoing feud between the Florida congressman and the former speaker, whose allies at the Freedom Patriots PAC have spent $3 million supporting Gaetz’s Republican primary opponent, former Navy pilot Aaron Dimmock, by attacking Gaetz — saturating his district with ads that revive past allegations, including accusations that Gaetz paid a minor for sex, and highlighting his past friendship with former Florida tax collector Joel Greenberg, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison for sex trafficking and other crimes.
Gaetz, who has denied all accusations, was informed by the Justice Department in 2023 that they would not bring charges against him following a yearslong investigation.
Tuesday’s primary is also another test in McCarthy’s so-called “revenge tour” against the group of eight far-right members of Congress, led by Gaetz, who played a key role in ousting McCarthy as House speaker in October — a clash that plunged Capitol Hill into weeks of chaos as Republican members scrambled to elect a new leader.
So far, McCarthy has only had one big win from his efforts to target the so-called “Gaetz eight,” helping defeat House Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good in one of the most closely watched and expensive Republican primaries of the 2024 election cycle. Meanwhile, has failed to unseat others, including South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace, who won her primary decisively.
And while those close to the McCarthy-aligned group anticipate that Gaetz will decisively defeat his primary challenger, who Gaetz has dismissed as a carpetbagger, they believe their campaign has already impacted Gaetz’s future political prospects — particularly his long-rumored gubernatorial run in 2026, which they say they will continue to fight against.
“We’ve actually hurt him … it’s not over,” a source familiar with the McCarthy-backed campaign told ABC News.
In a memo circulated by the McCarthy-aligned group, a copy of which was obtained by ABC News, polling commissioned by the group shows Gaetz running third in a hypothetical Republican gubernatorial primary with 14% of the vote, behind Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody at 17% and Rep. Byron Donalds at 23%, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis unable to run due to term limits.
The survey, which was conducted in July by Republican-aligned American Viewpoint, also shows Gaetz with a higher unfavorability rating among primary voters, compared to Moody and Donalds.
Gaetz blasted McCarthy’s efforts in a statement to ABC News and appeared to tease a potential 2026 run.
“Kevin spent $3 million and all he has to show for it is a memo and a stack of canceled checks. We hope he continues listening to those who told him Aaron Dimmock was viable. Floridians will teach the California former Speaker a lesson Tuesday. And another in 2026 if he likes,” Gaetz said.
Gaetz, as he’s campaigned for reelection to Congress, has swatted down rumors he is eyeing statewide office in 2026.
“Kevin McCarthy explicitly said that the reason he’s spending millions to trash me here was to impair some future run for governor,” Gaetz said at a recent campaign stop. “I’ve said many times, I’m not making any plans to run for governor. I like the job I have.”
But some close to Gaetz told ABC News that the Florida congressman is indeed likely to run for governor in 2026, and that McCarthy’s efforts will not deter that decision — and might even motivate Gaetz to run.
“McCarthy did not do a single f—ing thing to dissuade Matt from running for governor,” a source close to Gaetz told ABC News. “If that was the effort, it’s been a piss-poor one.”
The memo also gives credit to McCarthy allies for Gaetz being the only potential Republican gubernatorial candidate among the three who is not leading the polling in their own region, with Gaetz tied with Donalds in the Florida Panhandle, while Moody leads in Tampa and Donalds dominates Fort Myers and West Palm Beach.
“The advertising against Gaetz in his own district has clearly damaged his ability to win a Governor’s race,” the memo reads. The memo states that the allegation of sexual misconduct poses a threat to Gatz’s potential gubernatorial bid, with his favorability dropping — including among the MAGA base — after respondents were informed of the accusations.
Gaetz has long denied all of the allegations, including paying for sex, and has dismissed them by claiming “someone is trying to recategorize my generosity to ex-girlfriends as something more untoward.” The Justice Department informed Gaetz in 2023 that it was declining to bring charges against him.
However, Gaetz continues to face an ongoing House Ethics investigation into the allegations. In June, the House Ethics Committee provided an rare update on its investigation into Gaetz, detailing in a statement that after speaking with over a dozen witnesses, issuing 25 subpoenas, and reviewing thousands of documents, the bipartisan panel will continue to review allegations, including that the Florida congressman “engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use” and that he “sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct.”
McCarthy has blamed his ouster as speaker on Gaetz, claiming it was because he refused to stop the ongoing House Ethics probe into the Florida congressman. Gaetz has blasted the House Ethics Committee, calling it “Soviet” and saying that “every investigation into me ends the same way: my exoneration.”
While some early signs pointed to McCarthy allies hoping they’d have a shot against Gaetz in this week’s primary, a source familiar with the McCarthy-backed campaign told ABC News that defeating him in the primary was ultimately unrealistic, and that the campaign focused its efforts on hindering Gaetz’s chances at a gubernatorial run — testing anti-Gaetz messaging that included the allegations against him while forcing Gaetz to use more of his resources in the primary.
“We feel great that we forced Matt to spend a bunch of money, and hurt him in his geographic base,” the source said.
If Gaetz does run for the governorship, he can expect continued resistance from McCarthy-aligned groups, who are already briefing donors interested in working to block his path to the governor’s mansion should he announce a campaign, according to a source familiar with the situation.
But Gaetz, who in recent days has made congressional campaign stops with Reps. Tim Burchett, Eli Crane, and Lauren Boebert, says that hasn’t made a dent in his reelection efforts.
“I’ve faced an unprecedented barrage of negative advertising funded by Kevin McCarthy,” Gaetz said recently. “I’ll be outspent more than three-to-one, but I’m going to win it better than two-to-one because the folks in Washington and California and Missouri don’t quite understand the connection I have with the people of Northwest Florida.”
