Darin Hoover, whose son was killed three years ago in the Abbey Gate terrorist bombing in Afghanistan, told Newsmax on Friday that he and other Gold Star parents invited former President Donald Trump to Arlington National Cemetery this week to honor their lost loved ones and that he doesn't believe any laws were broken.
"To have President Trump there was nothing short of amazing," Hoover, the father of U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover," told "Wake Up America." "We invited him. He didn't come to us. We invited him because he's been there with the support … he's full of love and he's full of sincerity and compassion. That made that day that much more special."
Trump has come under fire after reports of an alleged altercation between members of his staff and a cemetery official who reportedly confronted them to enforce federal rules prohibiting election-related actions at military cemeteries.
In addition, critics have been slamming Trump over images taken at the cemetery with the Gold Star family members, saying that he was using the anniversary for political reasons.
"I'm not aware of any law that was broken," Hoover told Newsmax. "We wanted the photos taken because, look, we're with the former president of the United States, the former commander in chief, and Lord willing, the future one as well. But none of us had our cell phones out."
He added that they asked that Trump's media team be present and "take those pictures and memorialize those, because, frankly, this is the only way we get to make memories with Taylor anymore is by visiting him at Arlington and doing the wreath-laying ceremony that we've done."
This year was the third time the wreath was laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, said Hoover, and "it was just a very, very somber day, an intimate little gathering around his headstone. It couldn't have been a better day, honestly."
He added that things with him are "tough" with the anniversary of the attack, as his son's birthday comes right before that date.
"The lead up to that, it's rough, but as far as doing well, it's day-by-day sometimes, but we're powering through," he said.
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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