Tomb guard reprimands group including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

An Army sentinel reprimanded a group including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Wednesday after someone laughed following a Veterans Day ceremony.

At Arlington National Cemetery, the guard halted his patrol and faced the departing group. “All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times,” the sentinel called out.

Hegseth had posed for photos outside the tomb with his wife, Jennifer, chief of staff Ricky Buria, deputy chief of staff Patrick Weaver and senior adviser Tami Radabaugh. As they finished taking photos and started to leave, someone laughed audibly, and online videos captured the noise.

CBS News reported that it was unclear who laughed or whether Hegseth made any noise himself. It remains unclear whether those involved will face repercussions.

Hegseth looked over his shoulder and kept walking up stairs without acknowledging the reprimand, NBC News reported.

The Pentagon supported the sentinel. “While commemorating this solemn day, a soldier correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum,” chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said. He said Hegseth and the Defense Department have always honored service members’ sacrifices and will continue to do so.

CNN first reported the incident. Its Pentagon reporter, Haley Britzky, wrote on X that the sentinel admonished Hegseth and senior advisers after members of the group talked and laughed near the memorial.

The US Army sentinel guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier admonished Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and a group of his senior advisers Wednesday after some in the group laughed and talked near the solemn memorial following a Veterans Day ceremony.

“All visitors will

— Haley Britzky (@halbritz) November 11, 2026

The tomb’s guard

The tomb is regarded as one of the United States’ most sacred war memorials. The Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment, known as “The Old Guard,” has maintained a continuous watch there since 1948.

In any weather, a sentinel crosses a 63-foot mat in 21 steps, faces the tomb for 21 seconds and repeats the routine.

Guards do reprimand visitors. In a 2022 Army interview, Army Staff Sgt. Chadwick Winget of the regiment said sentinels respond to the crowd two or three times daily.

President Donald Trump attended the Veterans Day ceremony with Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance and first lady Melania Trump. Trump placed a wreath honoring fallen soldiers hours before the reprimand.

Trump drew loud applause during his speech when he pointed out Hegseth in the audience. “He's done a fantastic job and he loves you and protects you. He's all about you,” Trump said.

Impeachment vote

The ceremony followed Tuesday’s 211-204 vote in the Republican-led House to shelve an impeachment resolution against Hegseth. Before the vote, Trump pledged to continue supporting him.

Outgoing Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie filed the impeachment articles with Democratic support. Massie accused Hegseth of carrying out unlawful orders, including waging war in Iran without congressional approval, disregarding laws on minimizing civilian casualties and directing the Pentagon to conduct extrajudicial killings.

Hegseth disputed the charges at his first news conference in months on Tuesday, saying they concerned policy rather than high crimes and misdemeanors. “On the eve of Veterans Day, these resolutions tell every one of them that their service was a crime,” he said of service members, calling the effort sabotage.

The Independent reported that 11 House Democrats missed the vote because of a Washington traffic jam, after which the effort was defeated. Andrew Noh, chief of staff to Rep. Marilyn Strickland, said she was “stuck behind a motorcade and missed the vote by 1 minute.”

A spokesperson for Rep. Melanie Stansbury said she “was blocked from entering the Capitol to vote due to a traffic incident and a police escort of a bus during the vote.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said “this is not the end of it.”

Democrats will control the House and Senate in January, and Jeffries is poised to become speaker, making renewed impeachment efforts likely, The Associated Press reported.