It has come to light that Joe Biden used images from what appears to be Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery in a campaign ad posted on X (formerly Twitter) in May 2020, during the last presidential election.
This revelation surfaces amid media accusations against Donald Trump for his team taking photos and videos at Section 60, where Gold Star families gathered on the third anniversary of the Abbey Gate bombing to honor their children who died in the botched Afghanistan withdrawal.
Biden’s video, posted on May 25, 2020, features a photo of himself at a grave in the cemetery, followed by a slide that reads, “Text JOE to 30330” and “paid for by Biden for President.” After Trump’s visit, the cemetery issued a statement emphasizing, “Federal law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, including photographers, content creators, or any other persons attending for purposes or in direct support of a partisan political candidate’s campaign.”
The photo in Biden’s video is dated May 31, 2010, when he was vice president. The Gold Star families present at Monday’s ceremony stated that they had invited Trump and his designated media team to document the event in Section 60.
Section 60, a solemn area mainly designated for U.S. veterans who served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, is a place where families come to honor their loved ones, according to the Arlington Cemetery website.