Hegseth finishes a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington. Then a soldier shouts at his group: ‘Maintain the atmosphere of silence and respect’

After a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the people traveling with him moved toward the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, according to Mediate. While the group climbed a staircase and some stopped for photos, laughter carried across the area.

A U.S. Army sentinel on duty responded at once. He called out, “All visitors will maintain the atmosphere of silence and respect at all times!” The visitors turned their heads for a moment, then kept walking up the steps. CNN aired the exchange as it happened.

The Tomb marks the resting place of an unidentified service member who died in World War I. Members of the Old Guard have maintained a continuous watch over the site since 1948, standing guard in every kind of weather, day and night. CNN senior reporter Zachary Cohen pointed out that the soldier’s words were a standard reminder of the quiet expected at the memorial.

Online criticism follows the Arlington video as officials release a response

Once the clip circulated widely, it drew pointed reactions from commentators and social media users. Political commentator Joanne Carducci described the moment as “f–king disgusting.” She wrote that it was “a single clip that captures the way this entire rotted regime sees our troops.”

Harry Sisson said Hegseth “couldn’t care less about fallen soldiers” and labeled him a “piece of trash.” Sam Stein of The Bulwark simply replied “wow” after watching the footage. Additional critical comments continued to appear online.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell later provided a statement. He said, “The Secretary and the entire Department have always honored, and will always honor, the sacrifices our military men and women have made to keep America safe. While commemorating this solemn day, a soldier correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum.”

The events at the tomb occurred one day after the House turned back an impeachment effort against Hegseth. Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, had led the push, but Democrats could not secure the votes needed for the measure to pass. Even though Trump has voiced his support for Hegseth publicly, The Atlantic had earlier reported that he asked his aides whether he should fire him.