President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will make two separate Memorial Day stops to honor the men and women who have fallen while serving in the United States military.
First, POTUS and FLOTUS will travel to Arlington National Ceremony in Virginia to participate in a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown. Trump has twice participated in Memorial Day services at Arlington National Cemetery as president. In 2019, Memorial Day weekend fell during a state visit to Japan, where he participated in ceremonies aboard the USS Wasp. (RELATED: Trump Won’t Handle Second Wave Of Coronavirus With More Lockdowns, Stay-At-Home Guidance)
ARLINGTON, VA – MAY 29: President Donald Trump participates in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, May 29, 2017 in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by Olivier Douliery – Pool/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, VA – MAY 29: President Donald Trump participates in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, May 29, 2017 in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by Olivier Douliery – Pool/Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump marks Memorial Day by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on May 28, 2018 (Photo: JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis (3rd L) mark Memorial Day by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on May 28, 2018 (Photo: JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump (L) and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis (3rd L) mark Memorial Day by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on May 28, 2018 (Photo: JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Later in the day, the Trumps will travel to Baltimore, Maryland, to take part in a Memorial Day flag raising ceremony at Fort McHenry, the historic site that stemmed off the British Navy during the War of 1812 and became the inspiration for “The Star Spangled Banner.”
Trump’s Baltimore trip has drawn protest from both Mayor Jack Young and the city’s residents. Young, a Democrat, urged Trump to reconsider his trip to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
“We don’t need to be spending our resources for the president who’s coming here under our orders to stay at home. I think he’s violating the law,” he stated. “I wish that the President, as our nation’s leader, would set a positive example and not travel during this holiday weekend.”
Young added that the city will be prepared to host the president and first lady if they do go through with the trip.
On Sunday, the nonprofit group People’s Power Assembly drove cars from East Baltimore to Fort McHenry to protest Trump’s decision to visit the city, given the current pandemic.