WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump celebrated Veterans Day by suggesting that imposing arch that he wishes to build in his honor would also be dedicated to the U.S. military and those who served in its ranks.
And this, even though three veterans have filed a lawsuit against stop the project — which a federal court has since temporarily blocked. Some military groups applauded the arch, but many others opposed it or joined efforts to stop construction.
Trump has said for months that the 250-foot arch planned for construction near Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial would be modeled after Paris’ Arc de Triomphe and could even be called the “Trump Arch.”
Washington commuters head south across the Memorial Bridge spanning the Potomac River toward a traffic circle at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery, the proposed site for President Donald Trump’s triumphal arch, Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, as seen from the Washington Monument. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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He also insisted that Washington has wanted a similar structure for centuries – even though it has. not true. However, in comments at an annual ceremony at Arlington Cemetery on Wednesday, Trump suggested it was actually veterans who longed for an arch in the capital.
“And soon we will dedicate a magnificent triumphal arch to our veterans,” he said. “And it’s in honor of our great veterans and our great armies.” He added: “They have been waiting for this for 200 years. »
Veterans’ Legal Efforts to Stop Ark Continue
Although the bow received approval From oversight boards made up of members chosen by Trump, the three veterans are among several entities suing to block construction of the ark. Nine family members of the Kennedy political dynasty are also trying to stop the project, arguing that the arch would cast a shadow over their loved ones’ graves at Arlington National Cemetery.
A protest structure stands near Memorial Circle, the proposed site for a triumphal arch, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, in Arlington, Virginia. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
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Last week, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting work for 14 days.
As Democrats will soon take control of Congress after big victories across the country in last week’s elections. midterm electionsTrump’s renovation plans will face a lot more scrutiny and hurdles — from his efforts to put his own name on the project. Kennedy Center redo public golf course and build your massif White House Ballroom and the bow.
Despite his party’s midterm defeats and potential legal and legislative obstacles, the White House continued to promote this ambitious project.
President Donald Trump speaks during an event marking Veterans Day at Arlington National Cemetery, Va., Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
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That includes a slick website unveiled last week that proclaimed it would be known as the United States Military Arch of Triumph and was “long awaited and sought after for many years, especially by the military.”
The website prominently displays a photo and quote from Trump. It also features the word “Triumph” in gold cursive script reminiscent of the font used during the presidential ceremony. Mar-a-Lago Estate in Florida and similar flourishes that were affixed to the White House as part of its redesign from the Oval Office and the West Wing.
Plans for the ark call for its columns to store ammunition and areas on the pedestal and observation deck to be reserved for a sniper nest. Its base would be designed to launch drones, and the site says the entire monument “will be highly secret but, at the same time, a high-profile and deadly structure, the likes of which have never been seen in this country before.”
The website does not specify how much the project will cost or how it will be financed, although some estimates are as high as $100 million.
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