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Trump used a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington to promise a military triumphal arch. The proposal remains entangled in lawsuits, political opposition and a temporary court halt.
Washington,Nov 12, 2026 01:34 IST
US President Donald Trump marked Veterans Day by suggesting that a towering arch he wants to build near Arlington Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial would be dedicated to the military and those who served in it.
The proposed 250-foot structure faces legal challenges from three veterans and members of the Kennedy family, while a federal court has temporarily blocked work on the project. Some military groups have supported the arch, but several others have opposed it or joined efforts to stop its construction.
Trump has said for months that the arch would be inspired by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and might even be called the "Arc de Trump". He has also claimed that Washington has wanted such a structure for centuries, although that is not true.
Speaking at an annual Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington Cemetery on Wednesday, Trump suggested that veterans had long wanted an arch in the US capital. "And soon we're going to dedicate a magnificent triumphal arch to our veterans," he said. "And that's in honour of our great veterans and our great militaries." He added: "They've been waiting for it for 200 years."
The project received approval from oversight boards whose members were chosen by Trump. However, the three veterans are among several parties suing to block its construction.
Nine members of the Kennedy political family are also seeking to stop the project. They argue that the arch would cast a shadow over their relatives' graves at Arlington Cemetery.
Last week, US District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a temporary restraining order barring work on the project for 14 days.
Trump's renovation projects are expected to face greater scrutiny and obstacles after Democrats won control of Congress in last week's midterm elections. The projects include efforts to put his name on the Kennedy Centre, remake a public golf course, and build a large White House ballroom and the arch.
Despite his party's midterm defeats and the possible legal and legislative hurdles, the White House has continued to promote the arch. A website unveiled last week said the structure would be called the United States Military Triumphal Arch and described it as "long overdue" and something that had been sought for many years, especially by the military.
The website prominently features a photograph of Trump and a quote from him. It also displays the word "Triumph" in gold cursive lettering similar to the typeface used at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and other decorative elements added to the White House during his overhaul of the Oval Office and West Wing.
Plans for the arch include columns designed to store munitions and areas on the pedestal and observation deck reserved for a sniper's nest. Its base would be designed to launch drones. The website says the monument "will be Highly Secretive but, at the same time, a top-level and Lethal structure, the likes of which has not been seen in this Country before".
The website does not state how much the project will cost or how it will be funded, although some estimates have put the cost as high as $100 million.
Trump has presented the proposed arch as a tribute to US veterans and the military, but the project remains temporarily blocked as legal challenges continue over its construction and location.
With PTI Inputs
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