Trump staffers had 'verbal and physical altercation' with Arlington National Cemetery official: media report

Two members of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign staff had a "verbal and physical altercation" with an Arlington National Cemetery official during a recent visit by Trump, NPR reported on Tuesday.

The former U.S. presidentparticipated in a wreath-laying ceremony on Monday at Arlington National Cemetery, honouring the 13 service members killed in an attacknear the Kabul airport during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

Later in Detroit, Trump blamed U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris, his Democratic rivalin the upcoming presidential election, and U.S. President Joe Biden for what he termed a "catastrophic" withdrawal.

Citing an unnamed source, NPR reported that when a cemetery official tried to prevent Trump campaign staffers from filming and photographing in an area where service members are buried, the Trump staff "verbally abused and pushed the official aside."

Trump campaign denies account

Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung disputed the report.

"There was no physical altercation as described and we are prepared to release footage if such defamatory claims are made," hesaid.

"The fact is that a private photographer was permitted on the premises and for whatever reason an unnamed individual, clearly suffering from a mental health episode, decided to physically block members of President Trump's team during a very solemn ceremony."

Arlington National Cemeteryconfirmed in a statement that an incident had occurred and a report had beenfiled.

"Federal law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, to include photographers, content creators or any other persons attending for purposes, or in direct support of a partisan political candidate's campaign," the cemetery said.

It wasn't clear to whom the report was filed and officials did not respond to requests for a copy of the report, or an explanation of why the Trump campaign was allowed to visit the cemetery as part of his campaign.

Trump is vying to become the U.S. president for a second time after losingthe 2020 election to Biden.