Guard reprimands Hegseth's group at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

A video circulating online shows a military guard reprimanding a group accompanying US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. According to Al Jazeera, Hegseth and members of his staff visited the memorial at Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday, which was Veterans Day.

As the group paused to take photos, they could be heard laughing. The video shows an Army sentinel turning to them and shouting, "All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times."

The tomb marks the resting place of unidentified US soldiers from World War I and later conflicts. A member of the 3rd Infantry Regiment, known as the "Old Guard", watches over it 24 hours a day.

The incident came amid speculation about whether Hegseth can keep his cabinet post under President Donald Trump. On Tuesday, he narrowly avoided a House vote on articles of impeachment after Republican lawmakers banded together to derail the effort. Critics have accused him of overseeing unlawful actions in his post, including spearheading the US-Israel war on Iran without first seeking congressional authorisation.

Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement that the sentinel had responded "correctly". He added that the Secretary and the Department "have always honored – and will always honor – the sacrifices our military men and women have made to keep America safe."