WASHINGTON, D.C. — A rush-hour Trump arch protest drew dozens to Memorial Circle on Thursday, where veterans, retirees and Democratic lawmakers condemned a proposed 250-foot monument backed by President Trump.
Speakers criticized the plan’s scale, cost, lack of congressional sign-off and proximity to Arlington National Cemetery. They stood beside a tarp mockup, noting the real structure would soar 32 times taller. Organizers included Public Citizen, which is leading a lawsuit on behalf of Vietnam veterans to block the project.
“It’s the wrong monument, in the wrong place, at the wrong time, dedicated to the wrong man,” said Jon Gundersen, a retired Army veteran and former Foreign Service officer involved in the suit. He described bipartisan opposition as widespread and said the turnout was heartening.
Trump arch protest focuses on impact near Arlington
Many who addressed the crowd warned the arch would loom over graves at Arlington National Cemetery and faulted the process for sidelining veterans and Gold Star families. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., blasted the proposal and argued that taxpayer money would be better spent improving services for veterans than on a triumphal arch with an observation deck.
The White House has said the monument would enhance the visitor experience and honor the sacrifices of service members. Protesters countered that the setting is inappropriate. “Imagine tourists coming up to this arch looking at the 24 to 27 funerals up there in Arlington,” Gundersen said.
The half-hour program featured rapid-fire remarks, chants of “no arch,” and a chorus of We Shall Overcome. Passing cyclists and commuters offered waves and horn blasts in support. Airliners roared overhead every few minutes, underscoring concerns that the arch would sit along an approach path to one of the nation’s busiest airport runways.
Several speakers cited aviation safety questions and raised alarms about Trump’s recent statement that the structure would house military drones and snipers. “Who are the snipers going to shoot — the families at the graves or the tourists at the Lincoln Memorial?” said Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., suggesting the administration’s national security framing could be aimed at shoring up its legal case.
Officials from the White House, Interior Department and Federal Aviation Administration have not answered detailed questions about the proposed military components. On a call this week with preservation groups, administration officials indicated they were not aware of any new submissions and would proceed with the original arch plan, according to a transcript and recording shared after the meeting.
Chisels and votes: How critics are fighting the arch
The project is expected to come before the National Capital Planning Commission in early November. As part of the federal review, the National Park Service had been negotiating ways to limit harm to nearby protected sites. The agency had rejected suggestions to relocate the arch.
In late September, days after the military complex comments, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation ended the review process, according to an email to preservation groups. Charles Birnbaum of The Cultural Landscape Foundation, who took part in the talks, said halting the process after only two meetings was extraordinary based on his 15 years with the National Park Service. The advisory council now plans to send recommendations directly to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum by Oct. 7.
Birnbaum said the move sidelines outside voices and mirrors broader efforts to roll back historic protections. He also noted a bipartisan permitting reform bill gaining momentum in Congress could further weaken safeguards for cultural sites.
On the ground, protesters vowed to keep up pressure. “We have to continue to call our senators, our congresspeople, and let them say no to this arch,” said Arlington County Board member Julius D. “JD” Spain Sr., adding that if it is somehow built, “I will get my chisel and I’ll be right over there with everybody tearing it down.” Beyer said there is strong local resolve to mobilize at the first sign of construction.
Another path could come from Capitol Hill, where Congress could bar federal funding for the monument. Earlier this week, a single Republican senator blocked an attempt by Democrats to stop construction of the arch and prevent demolition of the Kennedy Center.
“We could stop this today if the Republican majority stepped up,” Duckworth said. With midterm elections weeks away, a shift in congressional control could imperil the project starting in January.
