Tomb guard reprimands Hegseth group after photo stop

A soldier assigned to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery issued a verbal reprimand to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and three aides on Wednesday. The group was taking photographs on the steps in front of the memorial after a Veterans Day ceremony concluded.

Video of the incident shows Hegseth posing with his wife, Jennifer, Chief of Staff Ricky Buria, Deputy Chief of Staff Patrick Weaver, and Senior Adviser Tami Radabaugh. As the group broke away from the camera, a loud laugh was recorded. The guard then shouted that all visitors must maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times.

Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s top spokesman, stated that a soldier correctly and respectfully reminded the group to maintain decorum while commemorating the day. He noted that the department has always honored the sacrifices of military personnel.

The tomb houses the remains of unidentified soldiers from World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. A soldier from the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment has guarded the site around the clock since 1948. Hegseth and his staff attended the memorial as part of a larger ceremony that included President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

The incident occurred one day after Hegseth survived an impeachment effort in Congress. On Tuesday afternoon, lawmakers voted on resolutions to remove the defense secretary. Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie led the push, which received backing from Democratic members. Hegseth’s critics failed to pass the measure in Tuesday’s vote.

Hegseth addressed the impeachment attempt during a news conference on Tuesday morning. He described Massie as a rogue lawmaker and argued that he had not committed the high crimes required by the Constitution for removal. Hegseth contended that criticizing his handling of the military was effectively an indictment against service members.

Hegseth said the resolutions told service members that their service was a crime. He labeled the effort sabotage rather than patriotism.

Democrats reacted quickly to the tomb incident. Rep. Gwen Moore of Wisconsin posted on social media that the event showed Hegseth’s lack of fitness for his office. She wrote that he showed contempt for uniformed service members by disrespecting the sanctity of the memorial one day after avoiding impeachment.

With Democrats set to take control of the House and Senate in January, lawmakers who oppose Hegseth are expected to renew impeachment efforts in the coming months.