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Veterans sue over Trump's planned 250-foot arch, citing cemetery views
The Vietnam War veterans, who later worked as U.S. diplomats, say that the arch would harm the experience of visiting nearby Arlington National Cemetery.
Link to tweet
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/02/19/trump-arch-250-lawsuit
Three military veterans and a historic preservationist on Thursday sued the Trump administration over President Donald Trump’s planned 250-foot triumphal arch, arguing that the new structure would disrupt the experience of visiting Arlington National Cemetery and interfere with the intent of nearby monuments.
Michael Lemmon, Shaun Byrnes and Jon Gundersen, who served in the Vietnam War and later worked as U.S. diplomats, say that the arch would obstruct “the symbolic and inspiring view” from the cemetery to the Lincoln Memorial. Calder Loth, a retired senior architectural historian for the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, said the new structure would undermine the historic relationship between Arlington National Cemetery and other monuments by interrupting long-planned sight lines, including along Memorial Avenue.
Public Citizen, a government watchdog organization, filed the suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and is seeking to halt the project until the Trump administration secures approval from Congress and federal review panels.....
Trump has touted the arch as a priority, telling Politico in December that he hoped to begin construction “sometime in the next two months.” The Post reported that Trump has told allies that he wants the arch to be 250 feet tall to correspond with the nation’s 250th anniversary this year.
“I’d like it to be the biggest one of all,” the president told reporters last month. A triumphal arch in Mexico City, currently the largest in the world, measures 220 feet.
Federal review panels have yet to receive proposals for the project, and Congress has not signed off on its construction.
Memorial Circle, the plot of land that the president has targeted, is controlled by the National Park Service and is currently used as a traffic roundabout. A 1901-1902 report overseen by the Senate Park Commission, which laid the groundwork for constructing the National Mall and beautifying much of the city’s core, appears to envision some sort of structure in the circle, drawings show.
Michael Lemmon, Shaun Byrnes and Jon Gundersen, who served in the Vietnam War and later worked as U.S. diplomats, say that the arch would obstruct “the symbolic and inspiring view” from the cemetery to the Lincoln Memorial. Calder Loth, a retired senior architectural historian for the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, said the new structure would undermine the historic relationship between Arlington National Cemetery and other monuments by interrupting long-planned sight lines, including along Memorial Avenue.
Public Citizen, a government watchdog organization, filed the suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and is seeking to halt the project until the Trump administration secures approval from Congress and federal review panels.....
Trump has touted the arch as a priority, telling Politico in December that he hoped to begin construction “sometime in the next two months.” The Post reported that Trump has told allies that he wants the arch to be 250 feet tall to correspond with the nation’s 250th anniversary this year.
“I’d like it to be the biggest one of all,” the president told reporters last month. A triumphal arch in Mexico City, currently the largest in the world, measures 220 feet.
Federal review panels have yet to receive proposals for the project, and Congress has not signed off on its construction.
Memorial Circle, the plot of land that the president has targeted, is controlled by the National Park Service and is currently used as a traffic roundabout. A 1901-1902 report overseen by the Senate Park Commission, which laid the groundwork for constructing the National Mall and beautifying much of the city’s core, appears to envision some sort of structure in the circle, drawings show.
There is another lawsuit pending on the building of trump's ballroom. These lawsuits will be fun to watch