Three Vietnam veterans and an architectural historian have filed a federal lawsuit to block the Trump administration's plan to construct a 250-foot "Great Triumphal Arch" near Washington, D.C. The plaintiffs argue that the proposed monument would obstruct historic sightlines cherished by those seeking burial at Arlington National Cemetery. Nicolas Sansone of the Public Citizen Litigation Group represents Michael Lemmon, Shaun Byrnes, and Jon Gundersen, noting that two of the veterans hope to be buried at the cemetery.
Disruption of Historic Sightlines
The lawsuit contends that the arch would destroy iconic views between the Lincoln Memorial on the east side of the Potomac River and Arlington House, also known as the Robert E. Lee Memorial, located in Arlington National Cemetery. Sansone emphasized that the nation's capital was deliberately designed to maintain uninterrupted visual connections between these landmarks. The plaintiffs argue that an enormous structure would disrespect the solemn character of the cemetery, which serves as the final resting place for more than 400,000 military service members, as reported by AP News.
A planning document from the National Park Service acknowledged that the project will have "adverse effects on historic properties." The agency noted in a statement that such adverse effects cannot be fully avoided while retaining the location-dependent purpose of the undertaking. Critics contend that building the structure is disrespectful to the cemetery's solemnity and violates the foundational design principles established for Washington, D.C, as this newspaper reported in Trump Condemns Vandalism at WWII Memorial, Calls It 'No Greater Insult' to Veter.
Legal Battle Over Congressional Authorization
The Trump administration has cited a 1925 law originally authorizing a pair of 166-foot columns in Washington that were never built. Officials argue this past congressional approval "grandfathers" the triumphal arch project, allowing them to proceed without new authorization from Congress. However, Sansone argues that relying on a specific price cap and commission authorized centuries ago cannot reasonably justify a totally different independent project costing significantly more money today, more context in Trump Condemns Vandalism at WWII Memorial, Calls It 'No Greater Insult' to Veter.
The plaintiffs have asked a federal judge for a temporary restraining order to halt excavation work, which the administration announced would begin within two weeks earlier this month. The legal challenge raises fundamental questions about institutional authority: whether one person in the White House or a democratic deliberative process should decide what monuments are built, where they are situated, and what they commemorate.
