Trump lays wreath at Arlington National Cemetery to mark Memorial Day
During an overcast morning, Trump took part in the traditional wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
He was joined by Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Commanding General of U.S. Military District of Washington Maj. Gen. Trevor Bredenkamp. All four men raised their hands in salute.
Also in attendance were Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. John Daniel Caine, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Veteran Affairs Secretary Doug Collins and other Trump officials.
Trump will deliver remarks at Memorial Amphitheater, in which he will pay tribute to those who died in America's wars.
"These warriors picked up the mantle of duty and service, knowing that to live for others meant always that they might die for others. They asked nothing. They gave everything. And we owe them everything and more," Trump will say, according to excerpts released by the White House.
"The greatest monument to their courage is not carved in marble or cast in bronze -- it is all around us, an American nation 300 million strong, which will soon be greater than ever before," Trump will say.
MORE: Trump praises West Point graduates, touts 'golden age' of US military in commencement speech
The president earlier Monday had posted to his conservative social media platform a generic message in all-capital letters commemorating the holiday.
In a second Memorial Day social media post, Trump focused largely on lashing out at federal judges and perceived political opponents. It contained no mention of U.S. military personnel who lost their lives while serving in the armed forces.
Trump wished a happy holiday to all -- including "the scum" he said "spent the last four years trying to destroy our country through warped radical left minds."
The rest of the post criticized the previous administration on border security, and hit out at judges who've blocked parts of Trump's immigration agenda.
ABC News' Kelsey Walsh contributed to this report.
Trump lays wreath at Arlington National Cemetery to mark Memorial Day originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
House subcommittee votes to subpoena Justice Department for Epstein files
A House subcommittee has voted to subpoena the Department of Justice for files in the sex trafficking investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. Democrats successfully goaded GOP lawmakers to defy Trump and Republican leadership to support the action.
Boston Globe
5 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Taliban tortured and threatened Afghans expelled from Pakistan and Iran, UN report says
Thursday's report from the U.N. mission in Afghanistan said some people have experienced serious human rights violations, while others have gone into hiding or relocated for fear of Taliban reprisal. The violations include torture, ill-treatment, arbitrary arrest, and threats to personal security at the hands of the Taliban, according to the report. Advertisement A former government official told the U.N. mission that, after his return to Afghanistan in 2023, he was detained and severely tortured with sticks and cables. He was waterboarded and subjected to a mock execution. A non-binary person said they were beaten severely, including with the back of a gun. Volker Türk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, said nobody should be sent back to a country where they faced the risk of persecution on account of their identity or personal history. This was even more pronounced for Afghan women and girls, who were subjected to a range of measures 'amounting to persecution based on their gender alone,' he added. The Taliban have imposed severe restrictions on Afghan girls and women, cutting off education beyond sixth grade, most employment and access to many public spaces. Advertisement Responding to the report, Taliban authorities denied mistreating Afghan returnees and rejected allegations of arrest, violence, intimidation or retaliation against people because of their identity or personal history. Afghans returning from neighboring countries were provided with facilities related to documentation, transportation, resettlement, and other legal support, they said, while the Interior Ministry provides a 'warm welcome.' They called on the U.N. mission to prevent forced deportations, adding the United Nations as a whole 'should not hesitate' in providing basic needs to refugees, such as food, medicine, shelter and education. Afghans who left their homeland in the millions over the decades are either being pushed out in expulsion campaigns, like those in Iran and Pakistan, or face an uncertain future because of reduced support for refugees. On Monday, thousands of Afghans in the U.S. lost protection from deportation after a federal appeals court refused to postpone U.S. President Donald Trump administration's decision to end their legal status. Homeland Security officials said in their decision to end the Temporary Protected Status for Afghans that the situation in their home country was getting better. But groups helping Afghans with this status say the country is still extremely dangerous. The Trump administration's January suspension of a refugee program has left thousands of Afghans stranded, particularly in Pakistan, and a travel ban on Afghans has further diminished their hopes of resettlement in the U.S.
San Francisco Chronicle
5 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Taliban tortured and threatened Afghans expelled from Pakistan and Iran, UN report says
ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Taliban have tortured and threatened Afghans forcibly returned from Iran and Pakistan because of their identity or personal history, a U.N. report said Thursday. Pakistan and Iran are expelling millions of Afghans who they say are living in their countries illegally. Afghan authorities have urged nationals to return, pledging amnesty for anyone who left after the Taliban seized power in 2021. But rights groups and the U.N. have repeatedly warned that some of those returning are at risk of persecution because of their gender, links to the former Western-backed administration or profession. Thursday's report from the U.N. mission in Afghanistan said some people have experienced serious human rights violations, while others have gone into hiding or relocated for fear of Taliban reprisal. The violations include torture, ill-treatment, arbitrary arrest, and threats to personal security at the hands of the Taliban, according to the report. A former government official told the U.N. mission that, after his return to Afghanistan in 2023, he was detained and severely tortured with sticks and cables. He was waterboarded and subjected to a mock execution. A non-binary person said they were beaten severely, including with the back of a gun. Volker Türk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, said nobody should be sent back to a country where they faced the risk of persecution on account of their identity or personal history. This was even more pronounced for Afghan women and girls, who were subjected to a range of measures 'amounting to persecution based on their gender alone,' he added. The Taliban have imposed severe restrictions on Afghan girls and women, cutting off education beyond sixth grade, most employment and access to many public spaces. Responding to the report, Taliban authorities denied mistreating Afghan returnees and rejected allegations of arrest, violence, intimidation or retaliation against people because of their identity or personal history. Afghans returning from neighboring countries were provided with facilities related to documentation, transportation, resettlement, and other legal support, they said, while the Interior Ministry provides a 'warm welcome.' They called on the U.N. mission to prevent forced deportations, adding the United Nations as a whole 'should not hesitate' in providing basic needs to refugees, such as food, medicine, shelter and education. Afghans who left their homeland in the millions over the decades are either being pushed out in expulsion campaigns, like those in Iran and Pakistan, or face an uncertain future because of reduced support for refugees. On Monday, thousands of Afghans in the U.S. lost protection from deportation after a federal appeals court refused to postpone U.S. President Donald Trump administration's decision to end their legal status. Homeland Security officials said in their decision to end the Temporary Protected Status for Afghans that the situation in their home country was getting better. But groups helping Afghans with this status say the country is still extremely dangerous. The Trump administration's January suspension of a refugee program has left thousands of Afghans stranded, particularly in Pakistan, and a travel ban on Afghans has further diminished their hopes of resettlement in the U.S.
