BREAKING: The video of Pete Hegseth’s group getting scolded at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier went viral, and the backlash over what happened on Veterans Day was loud
Pete Hegseth’s Veterans Day went viral for the wrong reason.
After a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, Hegseth’s group took pictures and walked up the staircase near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Some began to laugh. An Army sentinel immediately called out, “All visitors will maintain the atmosphere of silence and respect at all times!” CNN captured the whole thing live.
By nightfall, the clip had spread across social media and people were angry.
Paul Rieckhoff said he had laid a wreath at the Tomb himself. “The Tomb is NEVER a place for laughing and selfies,” he wrote.
Ron Filipkowski described the spot as “one of the most solemn, heaviest, emotional places in America.” He said most people would never dream of being loud or laughing there, especially on Veterans Day.
David Corn pointed out the double standard. “If this happened during the Obama or Biden administrations, it would be the top news for weeks,” he wrote.
Chris Katje remembered visiting the Tomb on a school trip before ninth grade. “We were told repeatedly on how big of a deal this was and to be quiet at all times,” he wrote. “It’s weird to see Hegseth turn it into a photo op and not pay the respect that kids know how to give.”
Matt Mitovich didn’t see a way out. “There is no way Pete can spin this,” he wrote. “He owes no less than a full-throated apology.”
Another user had a message for the soldier. “This soldier deserves a promotion,” Chris D. Jackson wrote.
The Pentagon’s chief spokesman, Sean Parnell, responded in a statement. “While commemorating this solemn day, a soldier correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum,” he said.
That’s the Pentagon confirming the soldier was right.
