President Donald Trump told veterans Wednesday that he would dedicate his planned “magnificent, triumphal arch” to them as he spoke at a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, the sacred military burial site that critics say will be disrupted if the president carries out plans to build the 250-foot-tall structure.

Addressing veterans after laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Trump spun through his talking points on the Iran war and the military campaign in Venezuela, and claimed that the United States is “more respected” than ever before.

“This is really an amazing time in our country’s history, we’re doing things that nobody ever thought possible,” Trump said. “And yes, we’ll have some minor setbacks. We’ll handle them very nicely.”

Referring to the arch that he wants to have built outside the entrance to the cemetery, Trump said that “soon we’re going to dedicate a magnificent, triumphal arch to our veterans, and that is in honor of our great veterans and our great militaries.” He added, “They’ve been waiting for it for 200 years.”

Trump was accompanied by first lady Melania Trump and Vice President JD Vance, who also spoke at the ceremony. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who withstood a first impeachment attempt by the House of Representatives on Tuesday, also attended and was met with applause and shouts of support after being welcomed by Trump.

Later on, Hegseth, his wife, and two others were reprimanded by a guard near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier after one of them laughed.

“All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times,” the guard boomed at them.

The arch is slated to be built on a roundabout, known as Memorial Circle, in the middle of the historically significant sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and the cemetery. The corridor offers views of several monuments that together commemorate the United States’ reunification after the Civil War and preserve the solitude of the cemetery.

The project has faced a litany of legal challenges from plaintiffs that include Vietnam War veterans, the District of Columbia and Virginia and this week nine members of the Kennedy family. President John F. Kennedy, his wife, Jacqueline, and his brothers Sens. Edward and Robert Kennedy are buried there, along with other notable figures in American history.

The litigation has raised concerns that the arch would harm one of the nation’s most solemn historic sites, disrupt the flow of traffic and even dishonor the military and foreign service of those who are buried there.

At 250 feet tall and 165 feet wide, with a massive gold Lady Liberty statue on top, Trump’s planned arch would dwarf the Lincoln Memorial and stand half as tall as the Washington Monument. The first lawsuit was filed in February by three Vietnam War veterans and other private plaintiffs. The District of Columbia and Virginia filed separate lawsuits on Oct. 31, which a federal judge consolidated that day.

The Trump-aligned National Capital Planning Commission approved the administration’s plans for the arch on Nov. 5, but U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan blocked its construction through at least next week while the litany of legal challenges proceed.

Trump’s plans for the arch have evolved over the course of the legal opposition. Last month, Trump announced that the arch would become a “top grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch, to house, store, and have the rapid ability to use large numbers of drones, plus Snipers, on both the roof and the plaza areas, and additionally have and hold large quantities of sniper ammunition in storage.”

Members of the administration have continued to refer to national security as a reason to build the arch in court filings, including sworn declarations from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

But the final plans for the arch that were submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission make no mention of a military complex. There are also no references to a national security purpose.

The post Trump speaks at Arlington Cemetery as legal fight over arch intensifies appeared first on MS NOW.

Author: Source Author

From MS Now.