Pete Hegseth, a top advisor to the US Defense Secretary, and his team were reprimanded by a soldier guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery following a Veterans Day ceremony. A video captured the group laughing while posing for photographs before the solemn war memorial, prompting the guard's reminder about maintaining silence and respect. Hegseth was present with his wife, Jennifer, chief of staff Ricky Buria, deputy chief of staff Patrick Weaver, and senior adviser Tami Radabaugh. The Pentagon's top spokesperson, Sean Parnell, stated that the soldier had correctly reminded everyone to maintain decorum during the commemoration. Hegseth and his team were attending a larger ceremony, which was also attended by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. This incident occurred a day after Hegseth narrowly survived an impeachment effort in Congress. With Democrats set to take control of the House and Senate in January, further impeachment attempts are likely.
In 1948, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier began being guarded around the clock by a soldier from the US Army's 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as "The Old Guard." The tomb is a revered war memorial housing unidentified soldiers from World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. This was not the first controversy involving Trump's team at Arlington National Cemetery; during his campaign for a second term, Trump attended a 2024 ceremony honoring US forces killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. A campaign staff member reportedly shoved a cemetery employee trying to stop two people from filming and photographing the event.
Democrats criticized Hegseth's behavior at Arlington National Cemetery, with Representative Gwen Moore stating that he had demonstrated "his utter lack of fitness for his office." This incident comes as Hegseth faces further impeachment attempts due to Democratic control of the House and Senate starting in January. At his first news conference in months, Hegseth rejected the impeachment effort and argued against criticism of him and his handling of the US military. He claimed that such criticism was an indictment of the country's service members and their achievements.