Former U.S. Representative Joe Walsh urges Vice President Kamala Harris to engage with the press more often, while Trump's running mate, Senator J.D. Vance, criticizes Harris's remarks on an incident involving Trump's staff at Arlington National Cemetery.
In an interview with Fox News, former Republican Representative Joe Walsh criticized Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign strategy, arguing that she needs to "stop her 'prevent defense' campaign strategy" to secure victory in November. Walsh called on Harris to "face the music" and answer questions from the press.
Vice President Kamala Harris slammed former President Donald Trump after an incident involving his staff and a cemetery official at Arlington National Cemetery. Harris released a statement accusing Trump's team of disrespecting service members and politicizing a sacred place.
Republican Calls for Harris to End 'Prevent Defense' Strategy, Slams Trump Cemetery Incident
Responding to Harris's remarks, Trump claimed that he took photographs with families of service members who had requested them. He denied using their graves for political purposes and blamed President Biden for the deaths of young people killed during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Senator J.D. Vance, Trump's running mate, defended the former president and criticized Harris's comments. Vance urged Harris to "get off social media" and investigate the deaths of 13 U.S. soldiers during the Afghanistan withdrawal.
Republican Calls for Harris to End 'Prevent Defense' Strategy, Slams Trump Cemetery Incident
Karoline Leavitt, a former assistant press secretary during the Trump administration, also criticized Harris. Leavitt accused Harris of bragging about her involvement in the decision to withdraw from Afghanistan and of not reaching out to the families of soldiers killed during the withdrawal.
Harris defended her statement, claiming that the incident at Arlington National Cemetery was "nothing new" from Trump. She accused him of calling fallen service members "suckers" and "losers" and disparaging Medal of Honor recipients.
Republican Calls for Harris to End 'Prevent Defense' Strategy, Slams Trump Cemetery Incident
Harris promised never to politicize service members and accused Trump of being unable to understand anything other than service to himself. She has previously faced criticism for her role in the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The Trump campaign has not yet responded to Harris's remarks. However, Trump has maintained that he did not use Arlington National Cemetery for political purposes.
Republican Calls for Harris to End 'Prevent Defense' Strategy, Slams Trump Cemetery Incident
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump and Harris campaigns for comment but has not received a response.
The incident at Arlington National Cemetery occurred on Monday during a wreath-laying ceremony event honoring service members killed by ISIS-K terrorists during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. An Army spokesperson said an Arlington National Cemetery official was "abruptly pushed aside" while interacting with Trump's staff.
The U.S. Army said in a statement that the employee was making sure that Trump's team was "made aware of federal laws, Army regulations, and DoD policies, which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds."
