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Here’s how a Biden ad that featured Arlington National Cemetery differs from a Trump campaign effort
If Your Time is short
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A 2020 Joe Biden campaign ad featured a May 31, 2010, photo of Biden at Arlington National Cemetery.
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The day that Arlington National Cemetery picture was taken, Biden was acting as vice president, delivering a speech and participating in a wreath-laying ceremony.
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The ad contained a disclaimer that said the use of Defense Department footage does not imply the endorsement of the U.S. military or the Defense Department.
After news broke about an altercation at the Arlington National Ceremony involving former President Donald Trump’s staff, some social media users drew parallels between that incident and a years-old campaign ad by President Joe Biden at the same location.
An NPR report described a verbal and physical dispute that happened after a cemetery official tried to prevent Trump campaign staff from entering and taking photos in an area known as Section 60, an area containing the graves of recent U.S. casualties. Federal rules prohibit political campaigns from taking photos in the area.
Users on X resurfaced a May 25, 2020, Memorial Day campaign ad that President Joe Biden shared on his official X account. It featured a photo, dated May 31, 2010, of Biden standing over a tombstone.
"Well well well," read one Aug. 29 X post by conservative commentator Jack Posobiec. "Joe Biden literally did a campaign ad at the graves in Arlington in 2020." Donald Trump Jr. also amplified these claims.
(Screenshot from X)
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But the circumstances surrounding the two events are different. The photo of Biden at Section 60 was taken while he was performing his duties as vice president, not as part of a campaign.
The public can take photos at Arlington National Cemetery without a release from Arlington or the Army Department. But Arlington National Cemetery’s media policy prohibits filming or photographing "if it conveys the impression that cemetery officials or any visitor or family member is endorsing any product, service or organization."
The policy also said the cemetery will not authorize "filming for partisan, political or fundraising purposes," citing 32 Code of Federal Regulations 553 of the Hatch Act. That law says "memorial services and ceremonies at Army National Military Cemeteries will not include partisan political activities."
On May 31, 2010, the date of the photo featured in the ad, Biden was vice president. He participated in a wreath-laying ceremony and delivered a speech as part of his duties. PolitiFact couldn’t find the photo’s source online, but similar photos show him meeting with families in Section 60. The Defense Department also uploaded a photo of Biden speaking with families in Section 60.
At the time, Biden was not running for office. He was sworn in as vice president Jan. 20, 2009. Former President Barack Obama launched his reelection bid with Biden on April 4, 2011.
Biden’s ad, which honored the military and fallen service members’ families, also included this disclaimer at the start of the video: "The use of U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) visual information does not imply or constitute endorsement of the U.S. military, any military personnel or the Department of Defense."
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Trump visited Section 60 on the anniversary of a suicide bombing that killed 13 service members. Some service members’ relatives invited him to visit their loved ones’ graves, The Washington Post reported. Later, a TikTok video featuring a montage of that visit was uploaded on Trump’s official account. It showed clips of Trump visiting tombstones and meeting families while the ad’s narration and text criticized how Biden’s administration handled the U.S.’ exit from Afghanistan, when the suicide bombing happened.
The U.S. Army issued a statement defending the cemetery official who tried to stop Trump’s campaign staff from filming, calling the incident "unfortunate."
PolitiFact contacted the White House, Arlington National Cemetery and the U.S. Army for comment but has not received on-the-record responses.
An X post said that Biden "did a campaign ad at the graves in Arlington in 2020."
Biden shared a 2020 campaign ad that included a photo taken at Arlington National Cemetery, but it was taken in 2010 as part of his vice presidential duties, not as part of a campaign activity.
The statement contains an element of truth but ignores critical facts that would give a different impression. We rate it Mostly False.
Our Sources
X post, Aug. 29, 2024
X post, Aug. 29, 2024
X post (archived), Aug. 29, 2024
X post by Joe Biden, May 25, 2020
X post by Donald Trump Jr., Aug. 29, 2024
Email exchange and phone call with Arlington National Cemetery spokesperson, Aug. 30, 2024
Email exchange with White House spokesperson, Aug. 30, 2024
NPR, Trump campaign staff had altercation with official at Arlington National Cemetery, Aug. 28, 2024
Obama White House archives, "And As a Nation, We Pause Today to Remember Them," May 31, 2010
Axios, What are the rules for filming at Arlington National Cemetery?, Aug. 29, 2024
Arlington National Cemetery, Use Policy, accessed Aug. 30, 2024
Department of the Army, Media Policy for Army National Military Cemeteries, April 18, 2022
Code of Federal Regulations, PART 553—ARMY CEMETERIES, accessed Aug. 30, 2024
Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, 32 CFR § 553.32 - Conduct of memorial services and ceremonies
National Archives, Biden Vice Presidential Records Collection, accessed Aug. 30, 2024
CNN, With short video, Obama launches bid for re-election, April 5, 2011
Web Archive, U.S. Department of Defense photo essay, Leaders Honor Fallen at Arlington, Vietnam Wall, archived Aug. 29, 2010
Alamy photo, May 31, 2010
Alamy photo, May 31, 2010
U.S. Department of Defense photo, May 31, 2010
The Washington Post, Vance defends telling Harris to ‘go to hell’ for nonexistent cemetery criticism, Aug. 29, 2024
TikTok video by Donald Trump, Aug. 26, 2024
CNN, US Army rebukes Trump campaign for incident at Arlington National Cemetery, Aug. 29, 2024
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Here’s how a Biden ad that featured Arlington National Cemetery differs from a Trump campaign effort
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