Trending Now - Controversy Surrounds Trump's Proposed Monument in D.C.
WHO:
CBS News - Vietnam War veterans Shaun Byrnes and Jon Gundersen are opposing the arch project and filed a lawsuit in February.
Fox News - President Trump is proposing a Triumphal Arch.
WTOP - The group Third Act, composed of elders, is protesting the arch.
WTOP - Susan Douglas is a member of Third Act Virginia.
WTOP - Donna Shaunesey is participating in the demonstration.
WHAT:
CBS News - The arch is proposed to be more than double the height of the Lincoln Memorial.
CNN - The Federal Aviation Administration is studying the possible risks the arch could pose to flights at nearby Reagan National Airport.
Fox News - The Commission of Fine Arts has officially approved President Trump's planned Triumphal Arch.
WTOP - A makeshift arch with the message “86 Trump’s Arch” was erected by protesters.
WTOP - The planned arch is 250 feet tall and will include phrases such as “Liberty and Justice for All.”
WTOP - The arch will feature an observation deck open to the public.
WTOP - The National Capital Planning Commission is scheduled to discuss the project in June.
WTOP - Inspections at the arch site began earlier this month.
WTOP - The cost of the arch project is unclear, but it is expected to be funded by taxpayer and private funds.
WHERE:
Fox News - The Triumphal Arch is planned to be built over Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C.
WTOP - Protests are occurring near the Lincoln Memorial and Memorial Circle.
WHEN:
WTOP - A three-day demonstration by Third Act is scheduled through Tuesday night.
WTOP - The National Capital Planning Commission will discuss the project in June.
WHY:
CBS News - Opponents argue the project has been rushed and lacks proper congressional approval.
CBS News - Gundersen stated, "We know how authoritarian dictatorships work. There's no rule of law, there's no consent of the governed, and there's monuments for the leaders there."
WTOP - Protesters argue that the arch is “gaudy” and interrupts an important historical sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and the Lee House in Arlington Cemetery.
WTOP - President Trump stated that D.C. is the “only important and major city” that does not have a triumphal arch.
HOW:
CBS News - Byrnes expressed his opposition by stating, "It's more about the duty I feel towards my colleagues and friends who did not come home to stand up against this project."
WTOP - The group Third Act initially requested a permit from the National Park Service to gather at Memorial Circle but was denied due to an existing permit for the arch construction.
WTOP - Protests include several rallies, light projections at night, and a choreographed dance across Memorial Bridge.
(UPDATED May 25, 2026 19:19 UTC)
Vietnam War veterans Shaun Byrnes and Jon Gundersen are taking a stand against a proposed arch project that would rise more than double the height of the Lincoln Memorial, having filed a lawsuit in February. The Federal Aviation Administration is currently examining the potential risks this massive structure could pose to flights at nearby Reagan National Airport, while opponents like Gundersen argue that the project has been rushed and lacks proper congressional approval. Byrnes has voiced his concerns, emphasizing his duty to honor his fallen colleagues by opposing what he sees as an authoritarian approach to monument building.
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(UPDATED May 25, 2026 12:07 UTC)
President Trump is moving forward with plans for a 250-foot tall Triumphal Arch to be built over Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C., which has received official approval from the Commission of Fine Arts. However, the proposal has sparked protests from a group called Third Act, whose members argue that the arch disrupts a significant historical sightline and have erected a makeshift arch with the message “86 Trump’s Arch” near the Lincoln Memorial. The National Capital Planning Commission is set to discuss the project in June, while Third Act's three-day demonstration is scheduled to continue through Tuesday night, featuring rallies, light projections, and even a choreographed dance across Memorial Bridge.