Tulsi Gabbard defends Trump campaign over Arlington cemetery exchange

Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard defended the Trump campaign over an alleged altercation at the Arlington National Cemetery .

In an appearance on CNN's State of the Union, Gabbard defended former President Donald Trump and his campaign in a recent conflict between it and the cemetery after the latter accused the campaign of violating cemetery policy.

"I was there from the beginning with the laying of the wreaths with the family members, the Gold Star family members, and some of the survivors of that terrorist attack in that disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan ," Gabbard said. "I was with them at Section 60, and what I saw was a very grave and somber remembrance and honoring of those lives that were lost. And I saw President Trump spending time at the invitation of the Gold Star families with them, he was there for a few hours."

She said she didn't see or hear about any kind of altercation until later when it became a national news story.

"The families were there grieving alongside President Trump and it was a very special moment to really remember their names, remember their memories, and understand the true cost of war and end the consequences of the decisions that Kamala Harris and Joe Biden made in the execution of that withdrawal," Gabbard added.

She also stressed that Vice President Kamala Harris was invited to commemorate the dead on the anniversary of the attack but didn't respond. She said the Gold Star families were "offended" by her actions.

When questioned on the alleged violation of the ANC's rules, and whether she believed Trump's actions were appropriate, the former Hawaii representative said she checked with the campaign and that they have the exchanges with officials at the ANC that properly cleared them to bring a camera to document the commemoration.

"I thought they already had; I was informed that they had come to an agreement they could bring a camera there," she said. "And as far as I know, in the public statements I've seen from the army, is that the matter is closed."

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"To me as, as a soldier, and as someone who has been deployed to different war zones in the world, and I have friends who are buried there at Section 60," Gabbard continued. "What is more outrageous to me is that there wasn‘t universal coverage of the momentous day of the third anniversary of the loss of these 13 gold star families. And the outrage that they feel that their loved ones are not getting the kind of coverage and memory that their great sacrifice deserves. That is what everyone should be outraged about."

Gabbard, who ran for president on the Democratic ticket in 2020, is one of the most high-profile former Democrats to endorse Trump in the current election cycle. She left the Democratic Party in 2022 to become an independent.