Trump uses his Veterans Day speech to praise his arch

Veterans Day traditionally gives American presidents an opportunity to honor the men and women who have served their country, setting aside political disputes to recognize their sacrifices.

At Arlington National Cemetery, where thousands of American service members are buried, the occasion carries particular significance.

President Donald Trump initially followed that tradition during Wednesday’s ceremony, paying tribute to veterans and their families.

But according to The Independent, the president also used the occasion to defend his controversial war against Iran, celebrate his military operation in Venezuela and promote a massive monument that is already facing legal challenges.

His remarks came just eight days after Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress, with public dissatisfaction over the Iran war contributing to the Republican defeat.

Trump insists America has already won the war

Speaking at the cemetery’s Memorial Amphitheater, Trump defended the military campaign against Iran, which began with American strikes on February 28.

“America did not start a war with Iran. Iran has been waging war in America since 1979. This should have been taken care of a long time ago,” he declared.

The president then claimed that American forces had already achieved victory, despite the conflict remaining unresolved.

“It was about time somebody fought back. All of us fought back. We fought back, and we seriously fought back, and we won. Just a question of when we want to end it. We want to make sure we have a total victory, not a 93% percent victory.”

Trump also predicted that the war would end “soon,” repeating a promise he has made several times without providing a specific timetable.

His remarks followed an introduction of Marine veteran Dale Garner, who survived the 1983 bombing of American military barracks in Beirut that killed 241 service members.

Trump praised Garner’s resilience before discussing the current conflict.

“We began operations against Iran seven months ago, of which only a few weeks were active hard fighting. We lost 18 beautiful souls,” he said.

The president also claimed that Iran would need decades to recover from the destruction inflicted by American forces.

“It’ll take them 25 years to rebuild back what we have destroyed, and hopefully we won’t have to destroy any more of that country.”

The claims came after an Associated Press Election Day survey found that approximately six in ten voters believed the decision to attack Iran was wrong.

Trump boasts about Venezuela’s oil

The president also compared his administration’s military operations with previous American wars.

Standing near the graves of service members killed in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, Trump argued that the United States “got very little from any of these wars.”

He contrasted those conflicts with the January operation that removed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

Trump claimed the mission had been won “in 48 minutes” and suggested that American access to Venezuelan oil had already produced enormous financial benefits.

“We’re taking out billions and billions of dollars of oil and all sorts of other things. Be hundreds of billions very soon,” he told the audience.

“Nobody’s ever seen anything like it, and we paid for the cost of the war many, many times over already.”

The president provided no independently verified figures supporting those claims.

He then invoked an old expression about the rewards of military conquest.

“To the victor belong the spoils, they used to say,” Trump remarked.

“But you can say it again with us under this leadership.”

Trump’s giant monument faces opposition

Before concluding his speech, Trump turned his attention to a controversial construction project near Arlington National Cemetery.

His administration wants to build a 250-foot triumphal arch between the cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial.

“Soon we’re going to dedicate a magnificent triumphal arch to our veterans, and that’s in honor of our great veterans and our great militaries,” Trump announced.

“They’ve been waiting for it for 200 years.”

However, the project has encountered significant resistance.

Veterans organizations and preservationists argue that the structure would damage the historic view between Arlington and the Lincoln Memorial while creating traffic problems around the Arlington Memorial Bridge.

Last week, US District Judge Tanya Chutkan ordered a 14-day construction pause while considering whether a longer suspension is necessary.

The ruling followed a lawsuit involving veterans groups and the governments of Maryland and Virginia.

The National Capital Planning Commission had previously approved the project by an 8-4 vote.

The Kennedy family is fighting back

Several members of the Kennedy family have also challenged Trump’s proposed monument.

They argue that the enormous structure could overshadow family graves at Arlington and obstruct views associated with President John F. Kennedy’s burial site and eternal flame.

Lawyers representing descendants of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy Sr. and Ted Kennedy have strongly criticized the plans.

“The gigantic proposed arch is an illegal interference with Arlington National Cemetery and the heroes remembered there, including at the gravesites and memorials of the Kennedy brothers and Ethel Kennedy,” they said.

The legal disputes leave the future of Trump’s proposed monument uncertain.

Meanwhile, the president’s Veterans Day remarks have highlighted the political controversies surrounding his administration just days after Republicans suffered major electoral losses.

Although the ceremony was dedicated to honoring American veterans, Trump also used the occasion to defend an unpopular war, celebrate his administration’s military achievements and promote a construction project that opponents are determined to stop.

This article is made and published by Nicolai H, who may have used AI in the preparation