WASHINGTON — A U.S. Army sentinel guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier issued a verbal reprimand to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his delegation on Wednesday. The group was at Arlington National Cemetery for a Veterans Day ceremony attended by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Following the event, Hegseth, his wife Jennifer and several senior staffers were photographed on the memorial's steps. A laugh was heard from the group, prompting the soldier on duty to shout that "all visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times."
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell addressed the incident in a statement. He said that "while commemorating this solemn day, a soldier correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum." Parnell added that "the Secretary and the entire Department have always honoured, and will always honour, the sacrifices our military men and women have made to keep America safe." Video of the encounter showed Hegseth looking over his shoulder toward the sentinel but continuing to walk up the stairs without otherwise acknowledging the correction.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is one of the nation's most sacred war memorials. It is the final resting place for unidentified American service members from the First and Second World Wars and the Korean War. A soldier from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as "The Old Guard," has stood watch over the site continuously since 1948. Staff Sgt Chadwick Winget, a relief commander, said sentinels typically have to address noisy visitors two or three times daily, often because people are simply unaware of how loud they are being.
The public rebuke came one day after Hegseth survived an impeachment effort in the House of Representatives. Lawmakers voted 211-204 to shelve articles introduced by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, who accused the secretary of a range of illegal acts. At a news conference on Tuesday, Hegseth argued the impeachment push was unjustified and politically motivated. He claimed the criticisms against him were an indictment of the military's service members and their accomplishments.
Democratic politicians reacted swiftly to the incident at the tomb. Representative Gwen Moore said in a social media post that Hegseth had demonstrated "his utter lack of fitness for his office." She wrote that he showed contempt for service members by disrespecting the memorial's sanctity. Former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger called the episode "truly abhorrent" and said Hegseth was "completely unqualified for the job." Kinzinger told CNN he was proud the sentinel enforced the rules despite Hegseth's high rank.
Although Republicans blocked the impeachment vote this week, Democrats are poised to renew the effort when they take control of Congress in January. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, expected to become House speaker, has accused Hegseth of undermining national security. The defense secretary has dismissed the impeachment push as a "political spectacle." This is not the first controversy involving Trump associates at Arlington. During the 2024 campaign, a staffer was reported to have shoved a cemetery employee who tried to stop filming at a ceremony.