By Li Hai
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump observed Veterans Day at a ceremony in Arlington National Cemetery in the rain on Nov. 11.
Vice President Mike Pence, Second Lady Karen Pence, and Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie were also in attendance.
Trump approached the wreath and saluted at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, stood for a moment of silence, then retreated and saluted again.
It was the first official event Trump has attended since the election.
“America’s veterans have fought to defend our country, its values, and its interests since the first days of our founding. They have defeated tyrants, eliminated terrorists, and secured freedom at home and abroad,” Trump said in a proclamation released by the White House.
“The gravity of their contribution is immeasurable and so is our debt to every single one of our Nation’s veterans.”
Democratic candidate Joe Biden also attended a ceremony at the Korean War Memorial in Philadelphia, accompanied by his wife, Jill Biden. The former vice president didn’t make any public remarks during the event.
“This Veterans Day, I feel the full weight of the honor and the responsibility that has been entrusted to me by the American people as the next president, and I vow to honor our country’s sacred obligation,” Biden said in a statement.
The president, however, says the election is far from over. The Trump campaign’s legal team filed lawsuits in several key states, claiming significant voter fraud and irregularities.
Many prominent media outlets declared that Biden won the election on Nov. 7.
