DOJ seeks to dismiss Vietnam veterans' lawsuit against Trump's arch project

The U.S. Department of Justice announced today that it will seek to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Vietnam‑War veterans and an architectural historian who challenged President Donald Trump’s plan to erect the “Great Triumphal Arch” on the National Mall. The DOJ said the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision upholding the arch under the Antiquities Act gives the administration full legal backing to move forward. The suit, which argued that the monument would damage the Mall’s historic character and violate preservation laws, is now doomed to fail in federal court.

The arch, a 100‑foot bronze structure meant to honor American veterans, is set to replace the current National Mall memorials in Washington, D.C. The veterans’ group, the American Veterans of the Vietnam Era, claimed that the monument would create a visual and cultural imbalance on a site that has long represented collective memory. Their case relied on the 1902 Antiquities Act and the National Mall’s 1963 preservation statutes. The Supreme Court’s ruling clarified that the President has the authority to add monuments without the usual public consultation, effectively removing a key legal hurdle that the veterans had hoped to exploit.

The DOJ’s statement notes that the plaintiffs’ claims are “unfounded” and that the federal government has complied with all applicable regulations. The veterans’ lawsuit was filed in 2021 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. It had sought an injunction to halt construction, citing potential damage to the Mall’s historic integrity and the precedent it would set for future presidential projects. The DOJ’s move comes after the Supreme Court’s ruling, which the administration had been waiting for to secure a clean legal path.

If the DOJ succeeds in its motion, the arch will likely be built by the end of the year, pending any further appeals. The veterans’ group has warned that the case could be taken to the Supreme Court again, but the DOJ’s current position is that the arch is fully protected by the highest court’s decision. The outcome will determine whether the National Mall can be altered without new oversight, setting a precedent for future presidential memorials and potentially reshaping the city’s historic landscape.