Cox issues statement after using photos taken at Arlington for campaigning
Aug 28, 2024, 6:43 PM | Updated: 6:44 pm
Gov. Spencer Cox walks with former President Donald Trump during a press event at Arlington National Cemetery, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in Arlington, Va. (Spencer Cox)
(Spencer Cox)
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said that photos taken at Arlington National Cemetery with Former President Donald Trump were not supposed to be used in his campaign materials.
On Wednesday, Alan Wessman posted an image on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, of a Cox’s campaign email with photos of the governor and Trump at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
In his post, Wessman, a United Utah Party candidate for Utah County Commission, stated, “Arlington National Cemetery forbids use of its grounds for political events.” He claimed that since the original photo was for a private memorial service, it could not be used in campaign mailers.
In the image of the campaign email that Wessman shared, the email shows options for supporters to “donate” or “host a yard sign.”
According to the Arlington National Cemetery media policy, the “ANC will not authorize any filming for partisan, political or fundraising purposes, in accordance with the Hatch Act, 32 CFR 553, and AR 360-1.”
From NPR’s @QuilLawrence: Arlington National Cemetery officials say Trump campaign staff verbally abused and pushed aside cemetery official who objected to filming and photography at gravesites
More below and to follow on NPR pic.twitter.com/xQN2JEbCnG
— David Folkenflik (@davidfolkenflik) August 27, 2024
Cox responded to Wessman’s post on his personal X account, saying, “You are correct Alan. 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. My campaign will be sending out an apology.”
You are correct Alan. 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. My campaign will be sending out an apology.
— Spencer Cox (@SpencerJCox) August 28, 2024
Wessman later posted an image of an email from Cox’s campaign, apologizing for using the photos in campaign mailers.
“The email did not go through the proper channels and should not have been sent,” the email stated. “Honoring those who serve should never be ‘political.'”
Wessman noted that the new email did not have buttons for donating or claiming a yard sign for the sign, and while the body did not explicitly apologize, the title of the email was “Apology Regarding My Last Email.”
UPDATE: I got this email from the Cox campaign. It did not have any donation links below the signature. #utpol https://t.co/KqhPCLsBxd pic.twitter.com/6ecnXQowO9
— Alan Wessman (@AlanWessman) August 28, 2024
The photos stem from Cox being joined by Trump at the Arlington National Cemetery on Monday 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 beside his gravestone. A post from Cox’s official X account shows Trump and Hoover’s family giving a thumbs-up gesture.
“There is no greater sacrifice than giving one’s life in defense of our country. It was my solemn privilege to stand alongside the family of Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover at Arlington National Cemetery today as we paid tribute to his legacy and the 12 others who lost their lives three years ago at Abbey Gate in Afghanistan,” Cox said in the post.
There is no greater sacrifice than giving one’s life in defense of our country. It was my solemn privilege to stand alongside the family of Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover at Arlington National Cemetery today as we paid tribute to his legacy and the 12 others who lost their lives… pic.twitter.com/tR6dhpMYsB
— Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox (@GovCox) August 26, 2024
According to the Deseret News, Cox also invited President Joe Biden to join him at Arlington National Cemetery and offered to arrange a meeting between Biden and Hoover’s family.
“I know that you and I disagree strongly on the Afghanistan withdrawal from a strategic and moral perspective and our credibility on the world stage,” Cox wrote, according to a copy of the letter obtained by the Deseret News. “However, I know we also agree that the loss of those brave men and women was a terrible tragedy.”
While Biden did not attend the memorial, his office did release a statement honoring those who were hurt and killed in the attack.
The Associated Press, citing the Defense Casualty Analysis System, reported that during the Trump presidency — from Jan. 20, 2017, to Jan. 20, 2021 — there were 45 combat deaths among U.S. service members in Afghanistan. There were also 18 “non-hostile” deaths AP states.
Trump criticized Biden on Truth Social about the Afghanistan withdrawal, calling it “the most EMBARRASSING moment in the history of our Country.”
The Trump campaign also faced backlash for taking photos at Arlington National Cemetery. The Associated Press reported that the campaign was warned not to take photographs during the wreath-laying ceremony.
According to the Associated Press, “two Trump campaign staff members ‘verbally abused and pushed’ aside a cemetery official who tried to stop them from filming and photographing in Section 60, the burial site for military personnel killed while fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq.”
The Associated Press reported that Arlington National Cemetery officials stated that an “incident” took place and was reported, but they did not go into detail about what happened.
From NPR’s @QuilLawrence: Arlington National Cemetery officials say Trump campaign staff verbally abused and pushed aside cemetery official who objected to filming and photography at gravesites
On Tuesday, Trump posted on Truth Social a statement from the Hoovers and other military family members saying that Trump and his team “conducted themselves with nothing but the most respect and dignity” at the event.
The statement also said that the family members approved of Trump’s videographer and photographer attending the event.
Trump’s TikTok account posted a video of him meeting with military family members and Cox during the Arlington visit with a link directing people to TikTok’s 2024 Elections 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 the Kamala Harris account.
