Retired general calls Trump's proposed arch near Arlington a 'sacrilege'

A new Trump administration initiative aims to begin construction within days on a towering 250‑foot arch just outside Arlington National Cemetery, a site already steeped in symbolic meaning. Proponents argue the monument will honor national unity, but preservationists and historians warn it could mar the carefully maintained sightlines that evoke the country’s post‑Civil War reconciliation. Retired Army Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, a leading voice for the veterans group VoteVets, is backing a lawsuit to halt the project, citing concerns over both aesthetic impact and the appropriateness of the tribute. The controversy highlights a broader debate over how contemporary politics intersect with the nation’s most hallowed memorial spaces.

The Trump administration plans to break ground within two weeks on a 250-foot arch just beyond the gates of Arlington National Cemetery. Critics say it would disrupt historic sightlines intended to symbolize the nation's reconciliation after the Civil War. Geoff Bennett spoke with retired Army Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton of VoteVets, a veterans organization supporting a lawsuit to stop the project.