'Disrespected sacred ground': Harris slams Trump over Arlington National Cemetery incident

Vice President Kamala Harris weighed in Saturday on the altercation between GOP rival Donald Trump's staff and an official at Arlington National Cemetery, saying Trump "disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt."

The incident during a wreath-laying ceremony Monday has received considerable attention in recent days. Trump raised the issue repeatedly at campaign events Thursday and Friday, defending his actions.

"They tell me I used their graves for public relations services and I didn't," Trump said at a rally in Pennsylvania Friday.

Trump visited Arlington for a ceremony honoring 13 soldiers who were killed in Afghanistan during the U.S. military's withdrawal from the country.

A cemetery official trying to enforce rules against political campaign activity at the site and was "abruptly pushed aside" by Trump staffers, according to an Army statement . The Cemetery official contacted police but ultimately decided not to press charges.

The political fallout from the event has continued, though.

Trump has been accused of violating the prohibition on campaigning at one of the nation's most sacred public places. Some veterans expressed outrage at the Trump campaign's actions, and Army officials appeared to indirectly rebuke Trump's campaign for "unfairly" criticizing the professionalism of the cemetery employee involved in the incident.

The Army says that those who participated in Monday's wreath-laying ceremony and visit to Section 60, which contains the graves of recent U.S. casualties, were made aware of federal law, Army regulations and Department of Defense policies that "clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds." Trump's campaign team was photographing and filming at the site.

"It is a solemn place; a place where we come together to honor American heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of this nation," Harris said of the cemetery. "It is not a place for politics."

Trump denies that the cemetery visit was about drawing attention to his campaign, saying he was invited by the families of killed service members and felt compelled to do the event despite scheduling challenges.

"I don't need the publicity," he said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Disrespected sacred ground': Harris slams Trump over Arlington National Cemetery incident