A group of military veterans is fighting President Donald Trump’s plan to build a massive 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery, calling the project disrespectful to the nation’s fallen service members and challenging the administration in federal court.
“Some ground isn’t for building on,” VoteVets said in a social media post. “Arlington National Cemetery is the final resting place of more than 400,000 service members and their families. A 250-foot arch, with a tourist observation deck, would go up at its entrance, changing that ground forever.”
Three veterans and an architectural historian have sued to stop the project, arguing that the proposed monument would disrupt historic views between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery and requires authorization from Congress.
The veterans say their opposition is not about partisan politics, but about protecting the solemn character of Arlington and honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Vietnam veteran John Gundersen said the lawsuit is about “being loyal to the country,” while fellow veteran Michael Byrnes said he joined the challenge out of respect for the soldiers buried at Arlington.
In a video released on Tuesday, the groups warned against the vanity project which could involve 20 hours of construction per day and take two to three years to complete. The arch will also feature an observation deck for tourists that will overlook the city and the cemetery.
The proposed arch, which would feature elaborate gold details and rise roughly 250 feet, has become part of Trump’s broader effort to leave a lasting architectural imprint on Washington. Critics have derided it as a monument to Trump himself and argue that its enormous scale would overwhelm some of the capital’s most important memorial landscapes.
The legal battle intensified this month when a federal judge ordered the administration to provide at least 48 hours’ notice before beginning work at the site. The administration says a decades-old law gives it authority to proceed, while the veterans and other opponents dispute that interpretation.
For the veterans challenging the project, the issue is simple: Arlington should remain a place devoted to remembering Americans who served and died for their country—not a backdrop for a president’s personal legacy.