A posed photo of Donald Trump with Pennsylvania State Police troopers at a 9/11 memorial in Shanksville was used by the Republican presidential candidate’s campaign this week without the agency’s knowledge, a spokesperson said.
It marked the second time Trump has posed with Pennsylvania State Troopers as a personal keepsake for them, but then used the photos on his social media campaign platforms.
The former president posed with eight uniformed troopers in front of a Flight 93 memorial version of the American flag while visiting Shanksville on Wednesday, the 23rd anniversary of the plane crash.
The photo, posted to Trump’s Facebook and Instagram campaign accounts, had no caption. Trump and several troopers posed with the former president’s signature thumbs-up gesture. The troopers reposted Trump’s campaign post on their police union Facebook account with the words: “#GrayNation.”
The state police have a policy against officers appearing in uniform at non-department events without permission from commanders. Another department policy says troopers: “shall not use their position for political influence.”
Experts say the photo could convey the appearance of an endorsement in the way the photo is being used by Trump.
State Police spokesman Myles Snyder said troopers posing with visiting dignitaries is customary for keepsakes when they are working to provide extra security at events. This is common across the country, but the photos typically remain private mementos. Trump’s campaign previously posted a photo with officers from Nebraska and Iowa in October in front of his Trump plane.
The Democratic nominee for president, Kamala Harris’ Facebook page did not contain any posed photos with officers. But there was one image with members of the military from July 4, when she visited troops as vice president, and it explicitly said it was not an endorsement.
