WASHINGTON — Sen. Tammy Duckworth and a group of veterans and advocates gathered Thursday near Memorial Circle,…see more
WASHINGTON — Sen. Tammy Duckworth and a group of veterans and advocates gathered Thursday near Memorial Circle, across the Potomac from Arlington National Cemetery, to oppose President Donald Trump’s planned 250-foot triumphal arch under the banner “Veterans Over Vanity.”The Illinois Democrat, an Iraq War veteran and former Army helicopter pilot who lost both legs in combat, joined Sen. Jeff Merkley, Rep. Don Beyer and members of veterans groups for a morning protest and press conference organized with Public Citizen.
Organizers said the event was meant to press the administration to drop the project, which would sit in the traffic circle between the Lincoln Memorial and the cemetery entrance.Trump has described the arch as a monument marking the nation’s 250th anniversary. In a recent Truth Social post, he also said the structure would function as a “top grade Military Complex” able to store and launch drones, station snipers, and hold ammunition. The Federal Aviation Administration has said a preliminary review found the height itself would not create a hazard for flights at nearby Reagan National Airport; that assessment did not account for drone operations.
Duckworth, the top Democrat on the Senate aviation subcommittee, has written Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the FAA urging them to reject any conversion of the site into a military facility, citing the January 2025 midair collision near the airport that killed 67 people and unfinished safety recommendations from investigators.Critics, including Gold Star families and veterans who have protested at the circle in recent weeks, argue the arch and a later-added observation deck would interrupt the long sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House and overlook burial grounds where funerals take place several times a week.
The administration has said the monument would honor service members and enhance the experience for visitors to the cemetery. Park Service documents acknowledge the project would alter views at historic sites but indicate officials intend to proceed, with construction activity limited during ceremonies.Organizers of Thursday’s gathering said any later attempt to begin excavation would be met not with confrontation but with a stationary line of rocking chairs — a deliberate, silent presence they described as a way to underscore that the ground nearby is reserved for sacrifice rather than a personal monument. The National Park Service has moved the project through required reviews; opponents have said they will continue regular vigils at the circle.
