US Marine Corps defend appearance of uniformed soldiers at Mar-a-Lago gala

WASHINGTON (TND) — The U.S. Marines took a rare step Sunday to issue a statement defending some of its soldiers appearing in uniform at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort Saturday.

The image of four Marines in full formal uniform, appearing alongside three women at the resort, shared by MeidasTouch editor Ron Filipkowski, raised concerns and widespread criticism online that the soldiers were participating in a political event at the former president's residence. It is illegal for members of the U.S. military to appear in uniform.

"Active duty members are specifically prohibited from engaging in partisan political activities and all members of the Armed Forces should always avoid the inference that their political activities imply or appear to imply DoD sponsorship, approval, or endorsement," the Department of Defense stated in a 2020 FAQ document for active duty troops.

Frequent Trump critics like former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., who served as a lieutenant colonel with the National Air Guard, questioned why Marines would appear in uniform this way or even if those pictured were Marines.

"It’s either illegal per UCMJ [Uniform Code of Military Justice], or they aren’t marines which would be weird," he wrote in a quote post on X, formerly Twitter.

However, the Marine Corps sought to dispel the controversy Sunday, releasing a statement contextualizing the soldiers' appearance at the former president's residence.

According to a post on the Marine Corps' X page, and in a statement the military branch shared with publications like Newsweek, the four men were at Mar-a-Lago to provide a color guard and "static display" during a gala supporting the Florida-based veterans' health organization Grey Team.

The request was reviewed by Marine Forces Reserve Community Relations and deemed eligible for support," the statement reads. "The event was open to the public and helped raise awareness about military and veteran suicides.

Crucially, the post added that the event was not a political fundraiser, "nor was the 45th President of the United States in attendance."