Tom Burke, president of the Vietnam Veterans of America, said on Thursday that he was given wrong information before the group joined a legal brief supporting President Donald Trump’s planned arch. The 250-foot-tall arch is part of Trump’s plan to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States .
He said chapter and state leaders across the country were not asked before the national group signed the brief. Public lobbying documents show that it has been pressing the administration on veterans’ benefits, mental health support and other issues. David Pickett was president of the Korean War Veterans Association until June and is still on its board.
The group says it has more than 90,000 members. Because the topic had not been discussed by its leaders or members, he said he opposed the group’s decision to back the arch.
Tom Burke, president of the Vietnam Veterans of America, told members that he was given “inaccurate information,” according to an email shared with The Washington Post . He said the brief “went further than I anticipated or intended. Three people familiar with the plans told The Washington Post that the White House encouraged the groups to sign the brief. Two people said leaders of the Vietnam Veterans of America were concerned about angering Trump and damaging their relationship with his administration. Jay Kalner, president of the group’s Northern Virginia chapter, said he and many other leaders and members oppose the arch. “It’s never come up in conversation,” he said. He first said he did not see the “intrinsic value” of the arch, but later said in a text that he would support any effort to honor veterans. Harold Trieber, the group’s current president, told the Washington Post he made the decision. “I represent the association, and I believe it should be built,” he said.
Court hearing
It compared their case to a lawsuit filed by a woman who argued that Trump’s White House ballroom would affect her enjoyment of the building. In August, the Supreme Court ruled that she was unlikely to prove that she had been harmed. The administration hopes the ruling will help it win the case over the arch as well.
The White House has asked Judge Chutkan to dismiss the case, according to The Washington Post. In a court filing on Wednesday, the Justice Department did not mention that any of the people who filed the lawsuit were veterans.
