WASHINGTON DC. WA, September 26, 2026 — When President Donald Trump proposed a 250-foot triumphal arch at Memorial Circle—the roundabout connecting Arlington National Cemetery to the Lincoln Memorial, it drew immediate scrutiny. It would be taller than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and contain a location smack dab along one of Washington’s prime sightlines. Since the project cleared its first federal hurdle in July, opposition has grown considerably.
A Historic Site Under Threat
Memorial Circle has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places, a designation intended to deter egregious levels of disruptive development managed by the National Park Service. The arch would similarly inflict “adverse effects” on the landscape and views of the surrounding area, as noted by a National Park Service planning document. A federal rule calls for consulting with preservation offices before such damage goes ahead, but agreement isn’t legally required.
The arch was approved in July by the National Capital Planning Commission, whose members Trump appointed, after hours of public testimony against it. The National Park Service received upwards of 100,000 comments during the public review process—most against the design. Critics contend that with its scale and location, the roundabout in which the monument will be built is inherently inappropriate for a gigantic structure twice as tall as the Lincoln Memorial.
Veterans Push Back in Court
Three Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian sued to stop the construction, which they say will interfere with sight lines that the veterans and mourners hold dear about the arch. They also argue that Trump doesn’t have the legal authority to do so without congressional approval, as the administration is citing a 1925 law that approved a completely different set of columns—which were never constructed. Late last week, a judge in the U.S. District Courts took up the preliminary filings.
Retired Major General Paul Eaton called the project “absolutely unfitting” and added that it verges on disrespect toward some 400,000 service members interred at Arlington. Gold Star mother Karen Meridith, whose son was buried there, said she is concerned about tourists seeing what are essentially funerals in progress. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum responds that construction will start in weeks no matter what.
A Military Complex, Too
Trump recently put his new spin on it, saying that the arch will also house a “military complex” for drones and sniper equipment. He said the change was requested by the U.S. Department of Defense and mentioned national security needs, but provided no concrete threat motivating the decision. According to reports, massive stockpiles of ammunition would be stored in the building alongside sniper positions on rooftops and in the plaza.
The justification for that announcement is similar to the more than $400 million White House ballroom project, which was constructed after demolishing the East Wing. Critics say this is part of a wider trend to use security as an excuse for avoiding the usual review process for big alterations to federal sites. But backers counter that Washington is still one of the only world capitals without its own arch of victory.
What Comes Next
Once the project formally begins, construction will likely take two to three years—if litigation doesn’t stop it first. The Commemorative Works Act, which requires congressional approval for monuments on federal land adjacent to the National Mall, is one that the administration contends doesn’t apply here. The courts could answer that question and either set the stage for a permanent arch in the walled city or turn it into a long-lasting eyesore.
According to critics, the backlash has evolved into, in some ways, one of the more transparent flashpoints in Trump’s campaign to change Washington’s skyline. That friction has similarly surrounded his push to put his name on the Kennedy Center and rewrite institutional Washington. According to veterans groups, they plan to continue pursuing their case in court as long as the project is alive.
