Vietnam Veterans of America President Tom Burke says the group joined a court filing backing President Donald Trump’s proposed Washington arch after he received inaccurate information, as a judge weighs a construction pause.
Burke told members in an email that he had been given “inaccurate information” and that the filing “went further than I anticipated or intended,” The Washington Post reported Oct. 29. The newspaper said it reviewed an email shared with it. The Post also reported, citing documents and three people familiar with the plans, that White House staff encouraged veterans’ groups to join the filing. The White House did not respond to the newspaper’s questions, the Post reported.
In an Oct. 29 statement, VVA said it joined the amicus brief to support honoring veterans and challenge claims that a small group of veterans represented the wider community. It acknowledged that the brief supported construction, while saying participation did not mean endorsing the arch’s design or campaigning for the project. VVA also said its members hold differing views and that state councils and chapters can adopt positions through established procedures.
The Post reported that Burke’s email said national VVA had not taken a position for or against construction. That account sits alongside the group’s acknowledgment that its court filing backed building the arch; VVA said it did not intend its participation as an endorsement of the specific design.
Veterans for America First, a co-signatory, said the brief was filed Oct. 28 in Lemmon v. Trump. The case was brought by three Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian. Their complaint argues that the project requires congressional authorization and must meet other statutory requirements. It describes the proposed arch as up to 250 feet tall at Memorial Circle. Those are the plaintiffs’ allegations.
An earlier administration filing argued that the site could help respond to airborne threats.
Chutkan had a hearing set for Friday, Oct. 30, on the plaintiffs’ motion to stop work at the site. The administration told the court work could begin as early as Nov. 5, subject to approval by the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC).
