Federal judge temporarily blocks construction of Trump's 250-foot arch
Seven Lights
A federal judge early Friday temporarily blocked construction of President Trump’s proposed 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery, issuing a 14-day restraining order hours after the project won its final planning approval.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan granted the order sought by the District of Columbia and Virginia. It bars construction, excavation, land disturbance and utility installation in Memorial Circle while the court considers lawsuits challenging the project’s legality. A hearing on a longer preliminary injunction is set for Monday.
The ruling followed the National Capital Planning Commission’s approval of the final site and building plans Thursday in an 8-4 vote after a hearing that ran more than nine hours and drew over 100 speakers. The vote divided along federal and local lines: members aligned with the administration voted in favor, while city representatives opposed it. Dozens of witnesses spoke against the arch, among them the D.C. Preservation League, military veterans and families of those buried at Arlington. Representative Huffman, testifying against the project, said the arch “would dishonor America.”
The lawsuits argue the administration lacks congressional authorization for a monument of this kind and has failed to comply with federal review requirements. A separate challenge is being pressed by a group of Vietnam veterans and an architectural historian. The same judge earlier this week declined to block the project before the commission vote.
Mr. Trump has called the arch “one of the great things we’ve ever done.” His administration has argued it would improve national security by helping contain drones and snipers, though the final plans submitted to the commission did not show such features. The cost remains unspecified, with estimates reaching $100 million, and the financing has not been disclosed.
The arch is one of several projects through which the president has set about remaking the capital, alongside a White House ballroom built on the site of the demolished East Wing, work on a public golf course and threats to demolish the Kennedy Center. The arch’s construction had been slated to begin immediately after Thursday’s approval. The restraining order now stays that start at least until Monday’s hearing.