Trump's Arlington "incident" brought scrutiny to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox

A campaign fundraising email by Gov. Spencer Cox included a photo taken this week at Arlington National Cemetery during an event where staffers for former President Trump clashed with a cemetery official .

Why it matters: The email bolstered allegations that photos taken at the wreath-laying ceremony Cox and Trump attended Monday amounted to "political or partisan" activity, which is forbidden in national cemeteries .

• The suspected political nature of the event appears to be at the crux of the alleged altercation that broke out when a cemetery official tried to stop Trump's campaign from taking photos of the visit.

Catch up quick: Cox joined Trump and others in a wreath-laying ceremony Monday at the Virginia cemetery and posted photos on X from the graveside of Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, of Salt Lake County.

• Hoover was one of 13 U.S. service members killed in an attack in Afghanistan three years ago as American forces pulled out of the country — casualties Trump blamed on the Biden-Harris administration.
• The wreath-laying was "facilitated" by Marlon Bateman, a Utahn and former State Department staffer under Trump, the Deseret News reported .

Friction point: A source told NPR that Trump's campaign team "verbally abused" and pushed a cemetery official who tried to stop the group from filming and photographing in an area known as Section 60, where recent casualties are buried.

• The cemetery's media policy generally allows photography. But in a written statement Tuesday a cemetery spokesperson noted that federal law "prohibits political campaign or election-related activities" at the cemetery, including photography.

The intrigue: Cox's campaign sent the email, obtained by Axios, at 10am Wednesday — nearly a day after reports of the altercation attracted national attention.

The latest: The governonr apologized on X for the email, saying: "This was not a campaign event and was never intended to be used by the campaign. It did not go through the proper channels and should not have been sent."

• His office did not answer Axios' query as to how the campaign obtained the message and photo or why Cox's signature appeared on an email he didn't intend for campaign use.
• In a prepared statement, a spokesperson said Cox "did not witness any altercations and hopes the focus can remain on the families who lost loved ones."

Between the lines: Cox also posted a photo of only himself and Trump , walking and speaking together with no Gold Star family members nearby. It's unclear whether the photo was taken in an area where campaign photos are prohibited.

• He also wrote a letter to President Biden, asking him to meet with Hoover's family and "[accept] responsibility" for his death, the Deseret News reported.

The other side: Trump's campaign denied NPR's report, saying they had permission to use cameras, and staffers were blocked by someone who was "clearly suffering from a mental health episode."

Meanwhile , Trump posted a campaign video Tuesday with footage of the Arlington visit .

The big picture: Cox, previously a staunch MAGA critic who led a nationwide civility campaign , abruptly endorsed Trump as a unifying force in July after the former president was injured in a shooting in Pennsylvania.

Context: Hoover's parents have publicly criticized Biden's handling of the withdrawal.

• At least two other mourners appeared onstage to support Trump at the Republican National Convention in July.

What they're saying: "The news that Donald Trump used a veterans' memorial event as a campaign photo-op … comes as no real surprise," Cox's Democratic challenger, state Rep. Brian King, posted on X.

• "What was disappointing was to see Spencer Cox stand alongside Trump as it happened," King continued. "Gov. Cox should condemn Trump's disrespectful behavior and rescind his endorsement."

Editor's note: This story has been updated with new information throughout.