Trump Independence Arch Plan Challenged by Vietnam Veterans (1)

President Donald Trump is unlawfully planning to construct a commemorative arch near the Arlington Memorial Bridge and Arlington National Cemetery without congressional approval, a new lawsuit alleged Thursday.

The president’s intended unilateral construction of the “Independence Arch” is beyond his authority and violates his duty to take care that laws are faithfully executed, a group of Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian said in their complaint. Trump, Domestic Policy Council Director Vince Haley, and the National Park Service would also be in violation of the Commemorative Works Act, which requires congressional approval for construction in Washington, D.C., and its surrounding areas, according to the suit filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia.

“This court should declare it unlawful and enjoin construction of the Arch unless and until all statutory prerequisites—including congressional approval—are satisfied,” the suit said.

A spokesperson from the US Department of Justice said in a statement Friday that it “stands ready to defend the President’s efforts to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary.”

The suit challenges the project Trump announced in October 2025, which is slated to be constructed through private donations before July 4 this year, the complaint said, citing news reports. The arch is expected to be 250 feet tall and located in Memorial Circle, which is part of a National Park Service area and is subject to the Commemorative Works Act.

“At 250 feet, the planned arch will be roughly half the size of the Washington Monument (555 feet tall), more than double the size of the Lincoln Memorial (99 feet tall), and the largest monumental arch in the world,” the suit said.

The arch would also allegedly obstruct the view of the Arlington House from the Lincoln Memorial, and vice versa. It could also pose a hazard to air travel at nearby Reagan National Airport, the plaintiffs said.

The veteran plaintiffs include former President Bill Clinton’s Ambassador to Armenia Michael C. Lemmon, former Chief of the US Kosovo Diplomatic Observer Mission Shaun Byrnes, and former President George H. W. Bush’s US Chargé d’Affaires ad interim to Ukraine, Estonia, Iceland, and Norway Jon Gunderson, the complaint said. Calder Loth, retired senior architectural historian for the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, is also a co-plaintiff.

The veteran plaintiffs allege the arch will dishonor their military and foreign service and the legacy of their comrades and other veterans buried at Arlington National Cemetery, and degrade their personal experience when visiting the area. Loth alleges the arch will harm his aesthetic, historical, and professional interests in the surrounding national monuments.

They’re seeking preliminary injunctions barring the president, the NPS, or Haley from continuing with the project absent congressional authorization and compliance with relevant statutes, the complaint said.

“This sacred site and this historic view should not be desecrated by the planned Arch,” Gunderson said in a statement from Public Citizen Litigation Group, which represents the plaintiffs.

The Lemmon v. Trump, D.D.C., No. 1:26-cv-00544, complaint 2/19/26.