Discussing the scandal this week concerning Donald Trump’s violation of federal law at Arlington National Cemetery, MSNBC’s Chris Hayes had a bleak assessment of the state of things for the Republican party.
“Trump has gotten away with intimidation, mafia style gangster threats, because rank and file Republicans let him, or in many cases, just straight up help him,” Hayes declared.
At issue, this week Trump filmed a campaign video at Arlington National Cemetery, a violation of federal law prohibiting the use of the monument for political purposes. When an employee attempted to enforce this rule, one of Trump’s associates physically assaulted her. The employee filed a report with the military (which oversees the monument) but ultimately chose not to press charges because she feared retaliation by Trump’s supporters.
The Army has confirmed all of these events, and in a statement said in part, “This incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that the ANC employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked. ANC is a national shrine to the honored dead of the Armed Forces, and its dedicated staff will continue to ensure public cere