Soldier at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier reprimands group with Pete Hegseth for laughing

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Members of an entourage traveling with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were publicly heckled for laughing and taking selfies during a Veterans Day visit to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, as CNN reported.

Hegseth posed for photos in front of the monument with his wife, Jennifer, Chief of Staff Ricky Buria, Deputy Chief of Staff Patrick Weaver and Senior Advisor Tami Radabaugh following a ceremony attended by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

A guard on duty stopped his patrol and issued a stern warning over the noise: “All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times!”

In a statement to The IndependentPentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell defended the department’s respect for the military and acknowledged the guard’s intervention.

“The Secretary of State and the entire Department have always honored – and always will honor – the sacrifices our service men and women have made to keep America safe,” Parnell said. “While commemorating this solemn day, a soldier correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to observe decorum.”

The monument, which marks the final resting place of an unidentified serviceman from World War I, is one of the most sacred war monuments in the United States and has been continuously guarded by the 3rd Infantry Regiment since 1948.

It is not yet known whether those involved will face any repercussions.

The cemetery incident comes during a tumultuous week for the defense secretary, who narrowly escaped an impeachment vote in the House of Representatives Tuesday night.

The articles of impeachment, introduced by outgoing Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, accused Hegseth of carrying out illegal orders — including waging a war in Iran without congressional authorization, ignoring civilian casualty laws and ordering extrajudicial killings. Hegseth dismissed the accusations during a news conference Tuesday, calling them a “political dispute,” while Trump pledged continued support for him.

Efforts to advance articles of impeachment over unapproved military actions in Iran and the Caribbean were defeated 211 to 204 after 11 Democratic lawmakers failed to vote due to a gridlock in Washington.

The missed vote sparked criticism from fellow Democrats and progressive commentators of the absent members and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

“This is a major failure by Hakeem Jeffries,” political commentator Krystal Ball wrote on social media. “You could have indicted war criminal Pete Hegseth, but the Democrats didn’t show up to vote.”

Progressive journalist Mehdi Hasan added: “Please choose another president, Democrats. Please,” while Michigan Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed criticized his colleagues on CNN, saying, “You should show up and do your job.”

Several absent lawmakers defended their attendance record by citing severe traffic congestion near the Capitol complex. A spokesperson for Rep. Melanie Stansbury said the congresswoman “was prevented from entering the Capitol to vote due to a traffic incident and police escort of a bus during the vote.”

Rep. Marilyn Strickland’s chief of staff, Andrew Noh, said the lawmaker was “stuck behind a motorcade and missed the vote by a minute.”

Despite the setback, Jeffries maintained that the campaign against Hegseth would continue.

“I haven’t had a conversation with anyone on the team about what may or may not have happened in terms of resolving Hegseth, but that’s not the end of it,” Jeffries said. “This is just the beginning.”

The incident follows a broader threat to Hegseth’s position after Republicans suffered significant losses in the midterm elections. Trump reportedly began asking his advisers whether Hegseth should remain in his Cabinet as voters rejected the administration’s military agenda, particularly the ongoing war in Iran.

“The reason we lost was the war,” Vice President JD Vance said on social media after the election.

In addition to opposition from Democrats, top Republicans have reported that Hegseth’s presence is blocking crucial legislation. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina called her confirmation vote the “biggest regret” of his career and warned that Hegseth must be “accountable,” citing his role in blocking a $70 billion defense funding request.