Veterans Sue To Stop Trump’s 250-Foot Triumphal Arch, Saying It Would ‘Dishonor’ Their Military Service

A group of veterans is suing to stop President Trump from moving forward with his plans to build a towering triumphal arch near Washington.Mr. Trump has said he wants to build the “biggest” such arch in the world, because America is the “biggest, most powerful nation.” The Washington Post reported last month that he has grown fond of the idea of a 250-foot “Independence Arch,” which would be built in Memorial Circle, between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary. Sources told the Post that the president believes “250 for 250” makes sense.However, on Thursday, a group of Vietnam War veterans filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, asking a federal judge to stop construction of the arch until the president receives approval from Congress.The lawsuit argues that the arch “would dishonor” the military service of the plaintiffs “and the legacy of their comrades and other veterans buried at Arlington National Cemetery.”It also says the arch would “degrade their personal experience when visiting Arlington Cemetery or traveling around Memorial Circle and on the Memorial Avenue Corridor.”A liberal law firm that filed the lawsuit, Public Citizen, said the arch would “obstruct the historically significant view between Arlington House and the Lincoln Memorial that has existed for nearly a century. That sightline was carefully designed to symbolize the unification of the country after the Civil War and the strength of a united nation.”An attorney for Public Citizen, Wendy Liu, said, “President Trump’s plan to erect a monument in Memorial Circle without the approval of Congress is flatly unlawful.”A White House spokesman, Davis Ingle, told The New York Sun, “The Triumphal Arch in Memorial Circle is going to be one of the most iconic landmarks not only in Washington, D.C., but throughout the world. It will enhance the visitor experience at Arlington National Cemetery for veterans, the families of the fallen, and all Americans alike, serving as a visual reminder of the noble sacrifices borne by so many American heroes throughout our 250 year history so we can enjoy our freedoms today.”The tallest arch in the world is at Mexico City, standing 220 feet. Mr. Trump’s planned arch would tower over the Lincoln Memorial, which stands about 100 feet tall. Mr. Trump told reporters in December that construction of the arch would begin “sometime in the next two months,” but so far, work on the arch has not begun.The same day Public Citizen filed its lawsuit, the Commission of Fine Arts — which has been stocked with Mr. Trump’s appointees — unanimously approved the construction of the president’s planned White House ballroom.

Veterans Sue To Stop Trump’s 250-Foot Triumphal Arch, Saying It Would ‘Dishonor’ Their Military Service

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