トランプ陣営スタッフ、国立墓地で職員突き飛ばす　報道

【ワシントンＡＦＰ＝時事】米首都ワシントン郊外のアーリントン国立墓地で、大統領選の共和党候補ドナルド・トランプ氏に随行していたスタッフが墓地職員を突き飛ばしたと報じられ、問題になっている。（写真は、米バージニア州にあるアーリントン国立墓地の「無名戦士の墓」で献花式に参列するドナルド・トランプ前大統領）
　トランプ氏は、２０２１年にアフガニスタンから米軍が撤退する直前にカブールで死亡した兵士１３人の遺族に招待され、同墓地で献花式に参列した。
　公共ラジオＮＰＲは２７日、同墓地の最近の戦没者が埋葬されている区域で、写真や動画を撮影しようとしたトランプ陣営のスタッフらと、それを制止しようとした墓地職員が小競り合いになったと報じた。
　この区域では撮影が禁止されているが、トランプ陣営のスタッフは墓地職員を突き飛ばし、暴言を吐いたという。
　墓地側は「連邦法により、軍関係者らが埋葬されている国立墓地での政治活動および選挙関連活動は禁止されている。これには党派的な選挙候補者を支援する目的、または直接支援する目的で訪れるフォトグラファーやコンテンツクリエーターらも含まれる」と説明。その場にいた全員に「この法律と禁止事項を強調し、周知した」と述べた。
　トランプ陣営の共同選対責任者クリス・ラシビタ氏は、この問題についてかなり異なる捉え方をしており、トランプ氏一行は「卑劣な人物」に妨害を受けたと主張。「神聖な場所であるアーリントン国立墓地を代表する資格のない恥ずべき行為だ」と非難した。
　共和党の副大統領候補、Ｊ・Ｄ・バンス上院議員は、メディアが「実際とは違う話をでっち上げている」と非難。トランプ陣営が「フォトグラファーの同行を許可されたことを示す検証可能な証拠がある」と反論したが、墓地側の声明とは矛盾している。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/08/29-16:58）

Donald Trump was embroiled in controversy Wednesday after a report that his entourage shoved staff during a politicized visit to the United States's most hallowed resting place for its war dead.
National Public Radio reported late the previous day that an Arlington National Cemetery official tried to prevent the Republican's aides from filming and photographing in a section where those killed in recent wars are buried -- and where filming is banned.
Trump staffers responded by shoving and verbally abusing the employee, the report said.
Arlington National Cemetery confirmed on Wednesday there had been an incident at the location, after the 78-year-old Republican presidential candidate's visit on Monday.
Accompanied by top election aides, Trump was taking part in a wreath-laying with family members of some of the 13 service members killed in Kabul in 2021 during the desperate last hours of the US pullout from Afghanistan, ending a 20-year war against the Taliban.
Trump was invited to the ceremony by the families. He has made criticism of President Joe Biden's handling of the final US retreat from Afghanistan a key note of his reelection campaign, arguing that he would have managed the withdrawal in the face of a sudden and complete Taliban victory better.
The withdrawal was made as part of a peace deal signed by the Trump administration with the Taliban in Doha in February 2020.
After the visit to Arlington cemetery, Trump's campaign posted a photo of the former president standing with the relatives and giving a thumbs-up gesture.
- Campaign activities 'prohibited' -
Arlington National Cemetery, just outside Washington, said federal law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, to include photographers, content creators or any other persons attending for purposes, or in direct support of a partisan political candidate's campaign.
The cemetery reinforced and widely shared this law and its prohibitions with all participants, it said.
Trump's campaign co-manager Chris LaCivita issued a very different interpretation of the dispute, saying a despicable individual had blocked the former president's team.
It is a disgrace and does not deserve to represent the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery, he said.
Trump's running mate JD Vance accused the media of creating a story where I really don't think that there is one.
There is verifiable evidence that the campaign was allowed to have a photographer there, Vance said in Pennsylvania -- an assertion contradicted by the cemetery's statement.
Trump also posted a statement on social media attributed to relatives of victims of the 2021 bombing in Kabul, which said they had approved having Trump's media team present.
The Abbey Gate suicide bombing at Kabul's airport killed scores of Afghans and 13 American troops -- the last US troops to die in that war.
The uproar over the Arlington incident is the latest in a long line of controversies over Trump's relationship with the military.
While often touting his support for the armed forces, he privately mocked the war dead while president and did not want to be seen near military amputees, according to his former chief of staff.