Trump Campaign Staff Reportedly Had Altercation with Arlington National Cemetery Official During Photo Op

"We can confirm there was an incident, and a report was filed," the cemetery told PEOPLE in a statement, though Trump's campaign refutes the details

Former President Donald Trump’s campaign staff reportedly caused a scene at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

On Monday, Aug. 26, members of the Republican presidential candidate’s campaign team allegedly had a verbal altercation with a cemetery official that turned physical, according to NPR.

Trump was at the historic military cemetery to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony that honored the third anniversary of a deadly attack on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan, the outlet reports.

Related: A Dad-to-Be, a 'Brave Young Man' and 'the Most Patriotic Kid': The 13 Service Members Killed in Afghanistan

A source told NPR that a cemetery official prevented Trump’s team from filming and taking photographs in an off-limits area called Section 60, where “service members killed in action in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom” are buried, per the cemetery's website.

The insider claimed that Trump’s staff were previously made aware of the rule, which states that only cemetery workers are allowed to take videos and photographs in the section. When the official went to stop the staff from entering the area, they allegedly verbally and physically abused the official, and pushed them aside.

Related: Trump Says Highest Civilian Award Is Better than Military Equivalent Because Its Recipients Aren’t in ‘Bad Shape’

Arlington National Cemetery confirmed to PEOPLE in a statement that "an incident" occurred during Trump's visit.

"Federal law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, to include photographers, content creators or any other persons attending for purposes, or in direct support of a partisan political candidate’s campaign," the statement said.

"Arlington National Cemetery reinforced and widely shared this law and its prohibitions with all participants," the statement continued. "We can confirm there was an incident, and a report was filed. To protect the identity of the individual involved, no further information about the incident is being released at this time."

However, Trump’s campaign staff are taking issue with how the incident has been described.

Senior Trump campaign adviser Chris LaCivita said in a statement shared with PEOPLE that "President Trump was there on the invitation of the Abbey Gate Gold Star Families to honor their loved ones who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country."

LaCivita continued by criticizing the cemetery official, writing, "For a despicable individual to physically prevent President Trump’s team from accompanying him to this solemn event is a disgrace and does not deserve to represent the hollowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery."

The senior campaign staffer claimed that NPR's source is "dishonoring the men and women of our armed forces, and they are disrespecting everyone who paid the price for defending our country."

Related: Report Alleges Trump Didn't Want 'Wounded Guys' in a Military Parade: 'Doesn't Look Good For Me'

Meanwhile, Trump communications director Steven Cheung said in a statement to PEOPLE, "There was no physical altercation as described and we are prepared to release footage if such defamatory claims are made.” (When asked for the footage by NPR, the Trump campaign declined to release it.)

Cheung further accused the cemetery official of experiencing a "mental health episode."

"The fact is that a private photographer was permitted on the premises and for whatever reason an unnamed individual, clearly suffering from a mental health episode, decided to physically block members of President Trump’s team during a very solemn ceremony," he said.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer??, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Following the public appearance on Monday, Trump took to Truth Social to blame the deadly 2021 attack in Afghanistan on Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden.

"Three years ago, Kamala's and Biden's incompetence left 13 dead warriors, hundreds of civilians killed and grievously wounded, and $85 billion worth of the finest military equipment on the planet abandoned to the Taliban," he wrote in a caption.

USA Today reports an inaccuracy in his claim, stating, "The Taliban took possession of an estimated $7 billion in military hardware provided to the Afghan National Army."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.