Trump's Arch Sparks Backlash Over Shadows on Veterans’ Graves: ‘Sickens Me’

Families of veterans have said they are “appalled” by plans for a new 250-foot “Triumphal Arch” in Washington, D.C., after a new analysis found the proposed design's shadow could pass over more than 75,000 graves at Arlington National Cemetery over a year.

In September, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said that the arch will be “one of the great pieces of American architecture, honoring the history and significance of Arlington Cemetery and befitting the most powerful capital in the world.” But some military families with relatives buried at Arlington have opposed the project. Retired Major General Paul Eaton’s father was presumed killed in action over the Ho Chi Minh Trail and was buried at Arlington after his remains were recovered and returned decades later.

Alongside his father, his mother is buried there, as are men and women who he served with during the Iraq War. “It just leaves a pit in the bottom of your stomach,” Eaton told Newsweek. “There are a lot of families out there who are going to visit their loved one and just be overwhelmed by the shadow of this vanity project to Trump.”

What To Know About The Shadow Over Arlington Graves Trump first unveiled plans for what was initially called the "Independence Arch" in October 2025 before the project evolved into what is now the United States Triumphal Arch. Design renderings show a granite-clad triumphal Arch topped by gilded statuary and an observation deck, alongside a towering, white arch with details including gold eagles, their wings spread outward. The arch would, upon completion, overlook the Potomac River between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial, but analysis by Democratic-aligned veterans organization VoteVets and The Washington Post has found that on some days of the year the new arch could cast a shadow on veteran graves.

Analysis found most of the shadowing would occur before Arlington opens at 8 a.m., although the shadow would remain on cemetery grounds after opening on 26 days.

Eaton is a senior advisor to VoteVets, which created its own modeling of the potential impact of the arch. The Washington Post separately conducted an analysis of where shadows from the proposed structure could fall. Karen Meredith, a Gold Star mother whose son, First Lt.

Ken Ballard, was killed in the Iraq War, also criticized the proposal. “For me, Arlington has been a nice, quiet place. This proposal by this administration doesn't bear well with me.

There will be an observation deck. We don't need tourists overlooking funerals. I'm just appalled.”

"The notion that someone who avoided service and denigrated it with his 'suckers' and 'losers' comments will now build himself an arch that literally overshadows some of America’s greatest, who put on the uniform and gave their lives to America just sickens me," Eaton said. Newsweek reached out to the Interior Department via email for comment. Analysis Finds Shadows Could Cross Thousands of Graves At a proposed height of 250 feet, the Triumphal Arch would dwarf some of the world’s most famous arches, including Paris's Arc de Triomphe, London's Wellington Arch, and Rome's Arch of Constantine.

The Washington Post created a to-scale 3D model of the arch and found its shadow could pass over more than 75,000 graves at Arlington National Cemetery over the course of a year, touching burial sites on 284 days. Most of that shadowing, however, would occur before the cemetery opens at 8 a.m.

; the Post calculated that the shadow would remain after opening on 26 days. Meanwhile, VoteVets said its modeling found 50,376 mapped grave locations across portions of 29 cemetery sections, plus two memorial areas, would fall within the arch's full-sun shadow at some point during the year. Under its broader interpretation of the structure, that could rise to 54,513 grave locations across as many as 34 sections.

The group also calculated that the shadow would reach John F. Kennedy's family plot on 17 mornings, for a cumulative total of around 29 minutes annually. The analysis acknowledged that existing trees may already block sunlight at some affected graves and said fieldwork would be required to determine how many would actually experience a new shadow.

The Interior Department said the project's designers had conducted their own shadow modeling and argued that, during cemetery opening hours, only a small section would be affected for less than two weeks of the year. White House spokesman Davis Ingle has separately told Newsweek that the arch will "be an iconic landmark that enhances the experience of visitors to Arlington National Cemetery and serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by American heroes throughout our 250-year history.” Calls to Delay Approval and Consult Families The proposed arch also faces ongoing legal challenges.

Three military veterans and an architectural historian have asked a federal judge to block construction unless the project receives congressional authorization. The plaintiffs, who say they regularly visit Arlington National Cemetery to honor fellow service members buried there, sought a preliminary injunction as the government said construction could begin as early as November 5. Multiple petitions have been started against the proposed arch, arguing that Arlington National Cemetery is hallowed ground," but for Eaton, the answer is simple.

"First, the government can go confirm these findings and then contact the next of kin for every gravesite that will be affected. Get their permission to build this. No one has done that, and it's disrespectful," he said.

"Second, the National Capital Planning Commission should delay its final vote in November until that is done. Once this thing is built, it’s nearly impossible to unbuild. Before any concrete is poured, contact all the families of the fallen and others buried there who will be overshadowed by Trump.

Ask them if that’s alright with them." Historical evidence shows that this is not the first time there have been architectural fears over the area surrounding the Arlington National Cemetery. Over 100 years ago, in a letter to Secretary of War Newton D.

Baker, landscape architect and McMillan Commission member Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. recalled that planners had recommended eliminating large ornamental towers from an earlier Memorial Bridge design because they would compete with the Lincoln Memorial. Keeping them, he wrote, would be "like a slap in the face to the Lincoln Memorial and to the [McMillan] plan."

In May this year, the non-profit The Cultural Landscape Foundation said, “The same could be said of the current plans.” Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: John Fitzpatrick and Gray R. Thomas