Veterans Group Rejects Support for Trump’s Contested Arch

WHO:

CNN - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended President Donald Trump’s proposed arch in a written declaration to a federal judge.

CNN - Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin also defended the arch’s proposed security role.

Alternet - Thomas Burke, national president of Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), said VVA and three other groups planned to remain “neutral”; he said he was unaware of the reported amicus brief.

Alternet - Burke shared a statement from the four groups saying they did not “endorse or oppose any specific architectural design or proposal.”

Alternet - Jay Kalner, president of VVA’s Northern Virginia chapter, said he and other local VVA leaders oppose the arch.

Alternet - Three Vietnam War veterans filed the lawsuit challenging the arch; Judge Tanya Sue Chutkan is reviewing it.

The Washington Post - Hegseth and Mullin told a federal judge that Trump’s planned arch could help defend Washington from drones and other threats.

WHAT:

CNN - Hegseth called the arch a “generational national defense opportunity” and said it would serve as both a national monument and a structure with military utility for homeland defense.

CNN - Hegseth said the elevated position could support authorized protective-overwatch and counter-sniper personnel, improving observation, situational awareness and coordination. He said security features would be integrated into the existing design without structural alterations.

CNN - Mullin said the location “provides opportunities for increased capability for information-sharing and logistical coordination.”

CNN - Trump initially proposed the arch as a monument celebrating the country’s 250th birthday; he later described it as a tourist attraction and military complex for storing drones and ammunition and positioning military snipers.

Alternet - The four veterans’ groups called on Americans to support a new monument honoring veterans’ service in Memorial Circle.

Alternet - The National Parks Conservation Association, National Trust for Historic Preservation, American Institute of Architects and other groups filed an amicus brief arguing that the project requires explicit congressional approval.

Alternet - The proposed arch is 250 feet tall, with a 55-foot-wide opening; it would be more than twice the height of the nearby 99-foot Lincoln Memorial.

Alternet - The 166-foot-wide structure would include an observation deck, six stairways and five elevators. Proposed site features include a plaza, granite pavers, landscaping, a stone seating wall and illuminated pedestrian crosswalks. Two gilded eagles and a gilded, winged figure holding a torch are described in the plans.

CNN - The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) is the final one of two federal agencies overseeing Washington, D.C., architectural and design changes that must approve the project.

WHERE:

CNN - The proposed arch would stand at Memorial Circle, between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, overlooking major national sites.

The Washington Post - The 250-foot arch is planned near the south end of the Arlington Memorial Bridge.

Alternet - The proposed structure would stand near Arlington National Cemetery and across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial.

WHEN:

CNN - The NCPC review is scheduled for November 5th; the administration said construction could begin as early as the day of approval.

WHY:

CNN - Hegseth argued that the site’s height would provide an elevation advantage and line-of-sight connectivity, while its central location would help identify and assess threats.

Alternet - The veterans’ lawsuit argues that the arch would disrupt visitors’ experience at Arlington National Cemetery and undermine nearby monuments’ historical significance; the veterans also say it would block key sight-lines and dishonor the fallen.

Alternet - Opponents argue that a century-old authorization cited by Trump officials concerns a different project and does not authorize this proposal.

HOW:

CNN - The administration submitted Hegseth’s and Mullin’s statements in a federal lawsuit seeking to stop construction.

The Washington Post - The officials’ legal filings said the arch could provide a position for coordinating security responses, deploying snipers and taking other defensive measures.

(UPDATED October 29, 2026 01:16 UTC)

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told a federal judge that President Trump’s proposed arch near Arlington National Cemetery could help protect Washington from drones and other threats, with elevated positions supporting surveillance and security coordination. Three Vietnam War veterans are challenging the project, arguing it would disrupt the experience at Arlington, block important sight-lines and diminish the significance of nearby memorials; the judge is reviewing their lawsuit. The 250-foot arch still needs approval from the National Capital Planning Commission, which is scheduled to review the proposal on November 5th, and veterans’ groups say they are neutral on its design while calling for a separate monument honoring veterans.