Does video show Hegseth’s group being reprimanded for talking, laughing at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier?

On Veterans Day, a video (archived) circulated online that social media users claimed authentically showed a U.S. Army sentinel guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier reprimanding U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and his group after someone talked and laughed while taking photos at the monument.

One X user who shared the clip wrote, “Pete Hegseth and his group were loudly reprimanded for laughing while visiting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier”

Pete Hegseth and his group were loudly reprimanded for laughing while visiting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier https://t.co/mKZzmTQa0L https://t.co/DZUT7MpTRp

— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) November 11, 2026

Claims about what the clip showed also circulated on Facebook and Instagram (archived, archived). Snopes readers also contacted us about the video.

The video was authentic and showed a real event on Nov. 11. CNN posted the video on its YouTube channel. There was no indication the footage had been created or edited using artificial intelligence. Therefore, we rate this claim true.

The Department of Defense’s Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs and Senior Advisor Sean Parnell told Snopes in a written statement:

The Secretary and the entire Department have always honored—and will always honor—the sacrifices our military men and women have made to keep America safe. While commemorating this solemn day, a soldier correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum.

In the video, Hegseth and four others posed on the steps in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a monument in Arlington, Virginia, that marks the grave of the unidentified service members from the U.S. who died in wars since World War I. 

As Hegseth’s group walked up the stairs away from the monument (time code 00:41), someone could be heard talking and laughing. The U.S. Army Sentinel on guard shouted in response, “All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times.”

It was not clear who in Hegseth’s group talked and laughed, though one woman who posed with Hegseth could be seen gesturing with her hands as the group walked up the stairs before the sentinel’s reprimand.

Newsweek reported that the group caught talking and laughing at the Tomb of the Unknown soldier consisted of Hegseth, his wife Jennifer Hegseth, his chief of staff Ricky Buria, his Deputy Chief of Staff Patrick Weaver and senior adviser Tami Radabaugh.

A photo from reputable photo repository Getty Images showed Hegseth’s wife was present at the Veterans Day commemoration at Arlington Cemetery on Nov. 11 and wore a dark brown or burgundy dress that was also visible in CNN’s coverage. 

Because the other three people in the group stood with their backs to the camera, Snopes could not independently verify Newsweek’s claim that they were Hegseth’s senior staff.

Soldiers have guarded the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington since March 1926. The Arlington National Cemetery wrote on its website that the guards initially “discouraged visitors from climbing or stepping on the Tomb.” 

The 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, also known as “The Old Guard,” has guarded the monument since April 6, 1948. Barbara Starr, CNN’s former Pentagon correspondent, told (time code 11:24) the network on Nov. 11 that sentinels will correct any visitors who do not act with “respect and silence” at the tomb.

The incident at Arlington comes at a time when Hegseth is facing immense pressure over the war in Iran, which has been widely understood as a reason midterm voters moved away from the Republican Party in the November midterm elections. 

On Nov. 10, the day before the incident at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Republicans in the House blocked an attempt to impeach Hegseth. That same day, U.S. President Donald Trump signaled his continued support for Hegseth on Truth Social, calling the outgoing Republican congressman Thomas Massie, who led the push for Hegseth’s impeachment, a “TOTAL LOSER.”

For further reading, Snopes has previously investigated a number of rumors about Hegseth.

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