SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Governor Spencer Cox said photos taken with former President Donald Trump at Arlington National Cemetery would not be allowed to be used in his campaign materials.
On Wednesday, Alan Wessman posted on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) an image of a campaign email from Cox with photos of the governor and Trump at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
In his postWessman, a United Utah Party candidate for Utah County Commission, stated, “Arlington National Cemetery prohibits the use of its grounds for political events.” He claimed that because the original photo was intended for a private memorial service, it could not be used in campaign mailings.
In the image of the campaign email Wessman shared, supporters are shown options to “donate” or “put up a sign for the yard.”
According to Arlington National Cemetery’s media policy, “the ANC will not authorize filming for partisan, political, or fundraising purposes pursuant to the Hatch Act, 32 CFR 553, and AR 360-1.”
Helmsman replied to Wessman’s post on his personal X account, saying, “You’re right, Alan. This was not a campaign event and was never intended for the campaign. It did not go through the proper channels and should not have been aired. My campaign will be issuing an apology.”
Wessman later released an image of an email from Cox’s campaign team and apologized for using the photos in campaign emails.
“The email did not go through proper channels and should not have been sent,” the email said. “Honoring those who serve should never be ‘political.'”
Wessman pointed out that the new email did not include buttons to donate or request a sign for the garden, and that while the subject line of the email did not contain an explicit apology, it did read “Apologies regarding my last email.”
The photos are of Cox and Trump on Monday at Arlington National Cemetery to honor Staff Sergeant Darin Taylor Hoover and the other victims of the 2021 Abbey Gate attack.
During the event, Trump and Cox took photos of Hoover’s family next to his tombstone. post from Cox’s official X-Account shows Trump and Hoover’s family giving the thumbs up.
“There is no greater sacrifice than giving your life in defense of our country. It was a great honor to stand alongside the family of Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover at Arlington National Cemetery today as we honored his legacy and that of the 12 others who lost their lives at Abbey Gate in Afghanistan three years ago,” Cox said in the contribution.
According to Deseret News, Cox also invited President Joe Biden to Arlington National Cemetery and offered to arrange a meeting between Biden and Hoover’s family.
“I know that we disagree completely on the strategic, moral and credibility issues surrounding withdrawal from Afghanistan,” Cox wrote, according to a copy of the letter obtained by Deseret News. “But I also know that we agree that the loss of these brave men and women was a terrible tragedy.”
Although Biden did not attend the memorial service, his office released a statement commemorating those injured and killed in the attack.
The Associated Press reported, citing the Defense Casualty Analysis System, that 45 U.S. soldiers died in combat in Afghanistan during Trump’s presidency – from January 20, 2017, to January 20, 2021. There were also 18 “non-hostile” deaths, according to the AP.
Trump criticized Biden on Truth Social over the Afghanistan withdrawal, calling it “the most EMBARRASSING moment in the history of our country.”
The Trump campaign team also faced heavy criticism for taking photos at Arlington National Cemetery. The Associated Press reported that the campaign team was warned not to take photos during the wreath-laying ceremony.
According to the Associated Press, “Two Trump campaign staffers ‘verbally abused and pushed aside’ a cemetery official who tried to prevent them from filming and taking photographs in Section 60, the burial site for service members killed in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq.”
The Associated Press reported that Arlington National Cemetery officials said an “incident” had occurred and been reported, but they did not elaborate on what happened.
From NPR’s@QuilLawrence: Arlington National Cemetery officials say Trump campaign staff verbally abused and pushed aside a cemetery official when he objected to filming and photographing gravesites
On Tuesday, Trump released a statement on Truth Social from the Hoovers and other military family members saying that Trump and his team conducted themselves at the event “with nothing but the utmost respect and dignity.”
The statement also said family members approved the presence of Trump’s videographer and photographer at the event.
A video of Trump meeting with military families and Cox during the Arlington visit was posted on Trump’s TikTok account, along with a link to the 2024 TikTok Election Center.
According to TikTok, the social media platform links the election information page to any account associated with the government, politicians or political parties, including Kamala Harris’ account.
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Governor Cox and former President Trump visit Arlington National Cemetery
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