Ceremony honors fallen on ‘sacred soil’
ARLINGTON, VA. — President Donald Trump paid a Memorial Day tribute at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, saying he came to “sacred soil” to “honor the lives and deeds of America’s greatest heroes.”
The commander in chief, speaking before an audience of Cabinet members, military leaders, veterans and families assembled in the marble amphitheater near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, said, “We mourn alongside their families and we strive to be worthy of their sacrifice.”
Trump’s somber tone contrasted with a self-promotional tweet earlier Monday in which he said fallen soldiers would be “very proud and happy at how well our country is doing today.”
During his second Memorial Day trip to Arlington as president, Trump laid a wreath at the tomb before making his remarks. He recognized military figures, including Bob Dole, the former senator and 1996 GOP presidential nominee, who served in World War II. He spoke warmly about a number of military families in attendance, including a young boy whose father is buried at Arlington.
Trump said the boy showed him his father’s grave last year, calling it “a moment I will always remember.”
Before heading to the hallowed grounds across the Potomac River, Trump tweeted “those who died for our great country would be very happy and proud at how well our country is doing today.”
But the president then veered from the somber to the self-congratulatory in the tweet, citing what he said was the “Best economy in decades, lowest unemployment numbers for Blacks and Hispanics EVER (& women in 18years), rebuilding our Military and so much more. Nice!” The president also posted quotes in line with his criticism of the Justice Department and investigations into his campaign’s ties to Russia.
He was criticized by a number of people, including former chairman of the Joint Chiefs during the Obama administration, retired Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, who wrote, “This day, of all days of the year, should not be about any one of us.”
Messages from first lady Melania Trump and Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter, struck themes of remembrance and thanks.
“As we remember our fallen servicemen and women, our hearts are filled with gratitude for their sacrifice and awe of their courage,” Ivanka Trump tweeted.
Melania Trump thanked service members and their families for helping safeguard the country. “We honor the many Americans who laid down their lives for our great country. As one nation under God, we come together to remember that freedom isn’t free,” she tweeted.