WASHINGTON, D.C. — Dozens gathered at Memorial Circle during Thursday’s morning rush to oppose the Trump proposed arch, a 250-foot structure the administration wants to place at the traffic circle linking the National Mall and Arlington National Cemetery.
Veterans, retirees and lawmakers criticized the plan’s scale, cost, lack of congressional approval and visual impact on the surrounding landscape, including the cemetery. They spoke beside a tarp mockup, noting the real structure would be 32 times taller.
“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 who is among Vietnam War veterans suing the administration to halt the project. Gundersen, who traveled from South Carolina for the “Vets over Vanity” rally organized in part by Public Citizen, said it was “heartening” to see support for the effort.
He added that people across party lines view the arch as a waste and not how to honor veterans.
Speakers highlighted concerns about how a towering monument would overshadow Arlington National Cemetery and faulted the process for limited input from veterans and Gold Star families. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., denounced the plan and argued that resources would be better spent on services for veterans rather than a triumphal arch with an observation deck.
The White House has said the arch would enhance the visitor experience and serve as a visual tribute to Americans’ sacrifices.
Gundersen urged people to consider the daily funerals at Arlington, calling the juxtaposition “wrong” and “inappropriate.” The crowd applauded throughout roughly 30 minutes of remarks, chanting “no arch,” and at one point sang We Shall Overcome.
Passing cyclists and commuters signaled support with waves and honks.
Frequent plane traffic underscored aviation safety worries, since the site sits along a busy approach route to a major airport. Several speakers also objected to President 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?” Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., asked. He suggested the administration’s national security framing could be an attempt to sway the Supreme Court if it loses in court.
The White House, Department of the Interior and Federal Aviation Administration have not addressed detailed questions about the military components. Officials have not clarified how any rebranding might affect federal approvals.
Administration representatives told historic preservation groups on a Tuesday Zoom call that they were unaware of new submissions and planned to proceed with the original arch proposal, according to a transcript and recording shared with advocates.
Despite public opposition, ongoing litigation and lingering questions, the project is moving toward a final federal sign-off.
Trump proposed arch faces preservation and planning reviews
Chisels and votes: How critics are fighting the arch
The proposal is widely expected to come before the National Capital Planning Commission at its early November meeting. As part of the federal review, the National Park Service had discussed ways to limit harm to dozens of nearby protected landmarks.
Experts’ suggestions to relocate the monument were previously dismissed by the park service.
In late September, days after the military complex announcement, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation ended its Section 106 consultation, according to an email to preservation groups. Charles Birnbaum, who participated as head of The Cultural Landscape Foundation and is a former National Park Service official, said he was appalled the process ended after only two meetings, noting that the council typically steps in only when negotiations with state preservation officers and stakeholders reach an impasse.
The advisory council now plans to send recommendations directly to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum by Oct. 7. Birnbaum said the move would sideline outside voices and mirrors broader efforts to reduce protections for historic sites.
He also pointed to a bipartisan permitting bill in Congress that would further weaken those safeguards.
Protesters vowed to keep pressing lawmakers and prepared for the possibility the arch advances. Julius D. “JD” Spain Sr., an Arlington County Board member, urged constituents to keep calling their representatives to oppose the project.
“And if it is built, if somehow it is built, I will get my chisel and I’ll be right over there with everybody tearing it down,” he said, drawing one of the day’s loudest ovations.
Beyer said there is a “huge body of people ready to protest the moment they see a shovel,” adding that Americans are prepared to escalate demonstrations if needed.
Congress could theoretically halt the project by blocking federal funding. Earlier this week, a Republican senator objected to a Democratic effort to stop the arch’s construction and to prevent the demolition of the Kennedy Center.
“We could stop this today if the Republican majority stepped up,” Duckworth said. Next month’s midterm elections could shift control of Congress, which opponents say would imperil the arch if Democrats prevail in January.
In a separate recent case involving military policy and federal oversight, an investigation into missing fighter jet components has also raised questions about how the Pentagon manages high-stakes infrastructure and technology, as reported in Pentagon probes diversion of F-35 parts in Hong Kong.