Tulsi Gabbard tried to clean up Trump's Arlington scandal, and it didn't go so well

Trump put Tulsi Gabbard on CNN to clean up the fallout from the Arlington National Cemetery scandal, and there were some problems.

Video:

Dana Bash presses Tulsi Gabbard about illegal Trump campaign event at Arlington National Cemetery, and Gabbard offers no evidence that Trump broke the law. pic.twitter.com/oK0OGIVL5S

Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) September 1, 2024

Transcript via CNN.

BASH: Yes, three years ago.

The issue concerns federal law and Arlington rules that prohibit partisan or political activity in national cemeteries. And the military, as well as other family members who are buried nearby, are outraged by the campaign to film it and put the video online.

Do you think it was appropriate?

GABBARD: I checked with the campaign on this issue and they have exchanges with Arlington Cemetery officials. They were allowed to bring a camera there to document this historic and important day that no American should forget.

And having a former president there and joining these Gold Star families, I know President Trump wanted to share that with others, especially given the fact that President Biden and Harris, I heard, were invited by some of these family members. Not only did they not come. They did not even respond to that invitation.

And now to have Kamala Harris released this statement yesterday saying he stands with these families, he stands with the military and veterans, you only have to look at the response from the Gold Star families of these 13 service members to see how hurt they are by that statement. , given that he made no effort, not on that third anniversary or at any other time, to call them directly to offer condolences and even apologize for their decisions that led to the loss of their loved ones.

BASH: Do you think the campaign will deliver the communication you are talking about? Because the army says…

GABBARD: I thought they already had. But…

BASH: … very clearly, very clearly, it was that they broke the rules because it was clearly pictures posted online, a video that was meant to be part of his campaign.

GABBARD: I thought they already had. They informed me that they have reached an agreement, they can bring a camera there. And in the public announcements I have seen from the army, as far as I know, it is closed.

BASH: I think the issue is closed on the argument, the alleged argument that you didn't see, but I'm not sure it's closed on the idea that they seem to have broken the rules and possibly even federal law by taking it down. campaign video.

Tulsi Gabbard didn't help, though she echoed Trump lie that Biden and Harris will not be presenting at the event. The reason Biden and Harris didn't attend was because it was a Trump campaign event.

Gabbard was unable to defend himself what did trump do. He offered no evidence that Trump had permission to shoot a campaign ad in Arlington.

Trump thought he was changing election history and boosting his campaign, but what he did was a new scandal for him. The whole ploy, designed to make Trump look like a patriotic trooper, has countered and showed Trump's disrespect for the troops, the dead, and the law.

Jason is the editor-in-chief. She is also the White House Press Center and Congressional Correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a BA in Political Science. Her graduate work focused on public policy, specializing in social reform movements.

Awards and professional memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Political Science Association