VoteVets Mobilizes Against Trump Administration’s Great Triumphal Arch Near Arlington

The nation’s largest Democratic veterans organization, VoteVets, announced a new outreach effort opposing the Trump administration’s plan to erect a 250-foot “Great Triumphal Arch” and military observation deck across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial. The campaign, unveiled in a video posted to social media, urges veterans to contact their congressional representatives and the National Capital Planning Commission to halt the project.

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The National Park Service, which reviewed the site, warned that the structure would produce “adverse effects” on historic landmarks and the capital’s skyline. The proposed location would interrupt the direct line of sight between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.

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Gold Star mother Karen Meredith, whose son rests at the cemetery, argued that a tourist observation deck would disturb solemn ceremonies. The campaign is supported by the advocacy group Home of the Brave. Several Vietnam-era veterans have filed lawsuits seeking an emergency court order to block any excavation, alleging that construction would disrupt daily burials.

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Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced the upcoming excavation, stating the work will commence over a two-week period. The National Park Service’s assessment of “adverse effects” remains part of the agency’s official record, though the administration has proceeded with site approval.

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• “The U.S. Park Service says that construction for this arch will be 20 hours a day for up to three years. Every weekday somebody is buried at Arlington National Cemetery,” — National Cemetery. Paul Eaton, a retired major general and VoteVets adviser

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• “We are pleased to announce that after a very long wait (over 125 years!), we are preparing to start, over the next two-week period, the excavation work necessary for the Great Triumphal Arch and Military Observation Deck,” — Interior Secretary Doug Burgum

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