Vice-President Kamala Harris has criticized former President Donald Trump for a recent incident at Arlington National Cemetery, condemning his actions as inappropriate and stating that the military burial site is “not a place for politics.” On Saturday, Harris took to social media to accuse Trump of disrespecting sacred ground “all for the sake of a political stunt.”

The controversy arose after the US Army reported that a Trump campaign staffer “abruptly pushed aside” a cemetery employee who was attempting to inform them about rules prohibiting filming on the grounds. However, the Trump campaign disputed this account, claiming they had received permission from the families of the fallen soldiers to film.

The incident occurred on Monday during a memorial event for 13 US service members killed during the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan. This is the first time Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, has publicly addressed the issue. She stated that she has visited Arlington National Cemetery multiple times in her role as vice-president and would never exploit the site for political purposes.

“If there is one thing on which we as Americans can all agree, it is that our veterans, military families, and service members should be honored, never disparaged, and treated with nothing less than our highest respect and gratitude,” Harris wrote. “Someone who cannot meet this simple, sacred duty should never again stand behind the seal of the President of the United States of America.”

Trump responded to the criticism at a campaign rally in Michigan on Thursday, saying he had been asked to take a photo at the site by the families of the deceased soldiers. “I go there, they ask me to have a picture and they say I was campaigning,” Trump said. “The one thing I get plenty of is publicity. I don’t need that.”

Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, seized on the controversy to attack the Biden administration’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal, bluntly telling Harris to “go to hell.”