Vietnam War Veterans Sue To Block Construction Of Trump’s Triumphal Arch

Three Vietnam War veterans sued the federal government seeking to block the construction of a new 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Ceremony on Thursday.

The lawsuit — filed by progressive watchdog group Public Citizen on behalf of the veterans — asks a judge to prohibit construction on the project, arguing President Donald Trump has not sought the necessary approval from Congress or independent government agencies.

The memorial, which the White House has dubbed the “Independence Arch,” is one of several controversial new construction projects being pursued by the Trump as part of his administration’s plans for the commemoration of the nation’s 250th anniversary this year.

The veterans — Michael Lemmon, Shaun Byrnes and Jon Gundersen — worked as U.S. diplomats after serving in the Vietnam War.

In the lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for D.C., they argue the project “would dishonor their military and foreign service and the legacy of their comrades and other veterans buried at Arlington National Cemetery, and would degrade their personal experience when visiting Arlington Cemetery or traveling around Memorial Circle and on the Memorial Avenue Corridor.”

Trump told POLITICO in December that construction of the arch would commence “sometime in the next two months,” but work has not yet begun. The memorial would sit in Memorial Circle, a site across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial close to the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery, according to preliminary sketches shared by the president.

The White House and the Commission of Fine Arts — the federal agency tasked with reviewing construction projects in the capital — did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Trump fired six of the agency’s commissioners, all of whom were appointed by former President Joe Biden, in October, smoothing the path for his proposed construction projects to be approved.

The newly appointed members of the commission voted Thursday to approve Trump’s plans to construct a new $400 million ballroom on the land previously occupied by the White House’s East Wing before its October demolition.

New commemorations in the National Mall area typically also require approval from the National Capital Planning Commission, which is now controlled by Trump allies like White House staff secretary Will Scharf and deputy chief of staff James Blair.

Historians and preservationists have raised concerns about the White House ballroom and the planned Arch, warning the new projects could disrupt centuries of historic architecture and scenery. The Trump administration drew a similar lawsuit in December seeking to block the ballroom project.

Trump signed an executive order last summer requiring federal buildings in Washington to align with the design style of ancient Rome and Greece, nodding to his longtime affinity for classical architecture.