Trump says the towering arch he wants to be build might be dedicated to military veterans

ملخص مفصل

President Donald Trump observed Veterans Day by suggesting that the towering arch he wants to build in his own honor would also be dedicated to the U.S.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump observed Veterans Day by suggesting that the towering arch he wants to build in his own honor would also be dedicated to the U.S. military and those who served in its ranks.

That’s despite three veterans having sued to stop the project — which a federal court has since temporarily blocked. Some military groups have cheered the arch, but many others have opposed it or joined efforts to stop construction.

Trump has said for months that the 250-foot (76-meter) arch set for construction near Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial would be inspired by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, and might even be called the “Arc de Trump.”

He’s also insisted that Washington has wanted a similar structure for centuries — even though that’s not true. In comments during an annual ceremony at Arlington Cemetery on Wednesday, however, Trump suggested it was actually veterans who had longed for an arch in the capital.

“And soon we’re going to dedicate a magnificent triumphal arc to our veterans,” he said. “And that’s in honor of our great veterans and our great militaries.” He added: “They’ve been waiting for it for 200 years.”

Though the arch received approval from the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were all tapped by Trump, the three veterans are among several groups suing to block the arch’s construction. Last week, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a temporary restraining order, prohibiting work for 14 days.

With Democrats soon taking control of Congress after big wins all over the country in last week’s midterm elections, Trump’s renovation projects will encounter far more scrutiny and roadblocks — from his effort to put his own name on the Kennedy Center to remaking a public golf course and building his massive White House ballroom and the arch.

Despite the midterm defeats by his party and the potential legal and legislative hurdles, the White House has continued to promote the arch project.

That includes a slick…

مطلع المقال، مقتطف من Toronto Star. لقراءة المقال كاملًا، افتحه على موقع الناشر.