Veterans, lawmakers, and activists gathered near Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday to protest President Donald Trump's planned 250-foot triumphal arch, arguing the project would disrupt one of the nation's most significant memorial landscapes and proceed without proper congressional authorization. The demonstration at Memorial Circle brought together retired service members, plaintiffs in an ongoing lawsuit against the project and several Democratic lawmakers. Among those attending were Senators Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Representative Don Beyer of Virginia.
Protesters held signs reading "Veterans Over Vanity," arguing that the project is more focused on Trump's legacy than honoring veterans. The protest comes as litigation challenging the arch continues in federal court and amid growing controversy over Trump's recent announcement that the structure would also function as a military facility capable of housing drones, snipers and ammunition. Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment on Thursday.
The administration has maintained that the arch can legally proceed and has defended it as a tribute to military service and America's 250th anniversary. Trump has repeatedly argued the monument would honor veterans and make Washington comparable to other world capitals that feature monumental arches. White House spokesman Davis Ingle previously told Newsweek the project would become one of the most iconic landmarks in Washington and would "enhance the visitor experience at Arlington National Cemetery for veterans, the families of the fallen, and all Americans alike." The proposed monument would be built at Memorial Circle, between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
Critics say the site was intentionally designed to create a symbolic visual connection between the memorial to Abraham Lincoln and the cemetery where generations of American service members are buried. Public Citizen, which is representing several Vietnam veterans and an architectural historian in a lawsuit against the administration, argues the structure would interfere with that historic sightline and violate federal law because Congress has not explicitly authorized the project. "The arch will impede the symbolic line-of-sight between the Lincoln Memorial in D.C. and Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, where hundreds of thousands of our nation's military members have been laid to rest," organizers said in a statement distributed ahead of the rally.
Among those protesting was retired Army veteran and former Foreign Service officer Jon Gundersen, one of the plaintiffs challenging the project in court. "My fellow Vietnam veterans, Michael Lemmon and Shaun Byrnes, and I all swore an oath to defend the U.S. Constitution," Gundersen said.
"And unlike Trump, we have upheld that oath. "His illegal Arch serves his ego, not the American people. An arch wedged between the line-of-sight of the sacred ground of Arlington National Cemetery, the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument dishonors our veterans and our nation." The lawsuit was first filed in February by veterans Michael Lemmon, Shaun Byrnes and Gundersen, along with architectural historian Calder Loth.
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