U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris said former president Donald Trump 鈥渄isrespected sacred ground鈥� in his recent appearance at Arlington National Cemetery, where the Republican nominee took and distributed images despite a federal prohibition on campaign activity on the grounds.

Harris, in a statement posted Saturday on the social media platform X, cited reports that Trump's campaign aides created an altercation with a cemetery staffer and proceeded to take photographs and film the former president, including at the graves of Afghanistan war veterans, after being warned about rules at the site.

鈥淟et me be clear: the former president disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt,鈥� Harris said, calling Arlington a 鈥渟olemn place where we come together to honor American heroes ... not a place for politics.鈥�

The original incident stemmed from Trump鈥檚 and Republicans鈥� continued criticism of U.S. President Joe Biden and now Harris for the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. At the invitation of some family members of service members killed during the withdrawal, Trump laid wreaths last Monday in honor of Sgt. Nicole Gee, Staff Sgt. Darin Hoover and Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss. They were among 13 U.S. service members and more than 100 Afghans who died in an Aug. 26, 2021, bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport.

Trump鈥檚 campaign was warned about not taking photographs before an altercation at the cemetery, according to defense officials. Officials have said since that an Arlington employee whom two Trump campaign staff members allegedly 鈥渧erbally abused and pushed鈥� aside has declined to press charges. The Trump campaign has since lashed out at Pentagon officials, with a top campaign adviser, Chris LaCivita, referring to military spokespersons as 鈥渉acks.鈥� Trump campaign officials say it had permission to bring someone to take video.

Since Biden ended his re-election bid, Trump has been zeroing in on Harris and her roles in foreign policy decisions. He has specifically highlighted the vice president鈥檚 statements that she was the last person in the room before Biden made the decision on Afghanistan.

Biden鈥檚 administration was following a withdrawal commitment and timeline that the Trump administration had negotiated with the Taliban in 2020. A 2022 review by a government-appointed special investigator concluded decisions made by both Trump and Biden were the key factors leading to the rapid collapse of Afghanistan鈥檚 military and the Taliban takeover.

Harris on Saturday alluded to Trump's history of picking fights with veterans and repeated allegations that he has 鈥渃alled our fallen service members 鈥榮uckers鈥� and 鈥榣osers鈥� and disparaged Medal of Honor recipients.鈥�

鈥淭his is a man who is unable to comprehend anything other than service to himself,鈥� Harris said. 鈥淚 will always honor the service and sacrifice of all of America鈥檚 fallen heroes. ... And I will never politicize them.鈥�