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A federal judge blocked construction of President Donald Trump's proposed 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington early Friday morning, stopping work the administration had hoped to begin immediately.
Just before midnight on Thursday, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued an order barring the government from any construction work on the arch for 14 days, granting a request filed days earlier by the governments of Washington, D.C., and Virginia. In a 33-page opinion, she scrutinized the administration's competing justifications for the arch — particularly its sudden emphasis on national security — and agreed that the local governments are likely to be harmed by its construction.
Chutkan's ruling came less than two hours after the National Capital Planning Commission, the federal body that oversees major construction in the capital, voted 8-4 to grant final approval to the arch. The commission heard nearly eight hours of testimony from veterans, lawmakers, residents and concerned citizens opposed to the structure before deliberating for less than an hour. The administration had told the court it could begin excavation work that same day.
The 250-foot arch would stand in Memorial Circle, a traffic island on the bridge linking the Lincoln Memorial to Arlington National Cemetery. It would include an eternal flame and a 60-foot-tall gold, winged female figure flanked by gold flying eagles, and would resemble the Arc de Triomphe in Paris while standing about 25 metres taller. Trump administration officials have said work would take place 20 hours a day, year-round, for two to three years. The Justice Department has said an initial six to eight months of excavation and foundation work could begin within days, with above-ground construction starting in May 2027 at the earliest and the job taking 33 to 39 months in total.
Supporters call the arch a patriotic landmark for America's 250th anniversary, and a tribute to the nation and those who served. Critics question its location near Arlington National Cemetery and whether it has proper congressional approval. They said the structure would obstruct an important view, insult service members buried on the hallowed ground of the cemetery, and add a layer of risk to the capital's complicated airspace. The project's final cost has not been disclosed; estimates have put it as high as $100 million, and officials have yet to explain how it would be funded.
The legal fight turns on whether the arch can be built without Congress. A group of Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian sued the government earlier this year, arguing that an arch is unlawful without congressional approval, which the administration has not sought. D.C. and Virginia filed a similar lawsuit last weekend, arguing the construction would cause financial and logistical disruption. Chutkan consolidated the cases and asked the government to notify the court within an hour of the commission's approval, setting the stage for the late-night ruling. She found the local governments are likely to succeed on their claim under the Administrative Procedure Act because construction of the arch likely violates the Commemorative Works Act of 1986.
The Trump administration contends Congress approved the arch more than 100 years ago, when it also authorized construction of a bridge across the Potomac River, and points to a 1925 authorization for a pair of 166-foot columns on Memorial Circle that were never built. Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have said the monument will enhance national security, but officials at the commission meeting confirmed that no such analysis or details were included in the final submission. An Interior Department official, Greg Wischer, said "specific national security functions have been filed under seal" in court, but that the National Park Service "has not been privy to any national defense preparations."
The commission meeting, which began at 1 p.m. on Thursday and was held virtually because of the volume of public testimony, heard from 131 people signed up to speak. Only a handful offered support, including Republican Reps. Andrew Clyde of Georgia and Brian Mast of Florida, both veterans. Many speakers had family members buried at Arlington, or plans for their own future burials there. D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson, who sits on the commission, moved to postpone the vote until final site and building plans were submitted; the motion failed 4-8. The National Park Service also approved the project late on Thursday, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced his decision to implement it.
Thursday had started with a protest on Memorial Circle, where dozens of people spoke against the arch. The grass underfoot was already marked with white paint; government lawyers told the court in a midday filing that the lines were painted on Saturday by its designated construction firm, seemingly without authorization from the National Park Service.
Rep. Don Beyer, a Virginia Democrat whose district includes the cemetery, said in a statement: "While this decision prevents Donald Trump from immediately implementing his plans to create a monument to his own ego, the courts and Congress must put in place permanent safeguards to stop the Trump Administration from violating the law and proceeding with this project." Beyer has introduced a bill that would prohibit and defund the arch, and said Thursday he expects its co-sponsors to grow from 80 to at least 200 in the new year. Many Democratic lawmakers have vowed to stop — and investigate — the arch after they regain a congressional majority in January.
Historic preservation groups condemned the vote. Brent Leggs, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, called it a "sham," saying: "It undermines the democratic process, violates federal statute, and insults our nation's veterans who have made the ultimate sacrifice." Jimi Shaughnessy of the National Parks Conservation Association vowed to "bring this to members of Congress, to ensure this arch is never built. Not here. Not ever."
Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen, the consumer rights nonprofit representing the veterans in their lawsuit, told NPR on Thursday that Congress does not need to act to stop the arch, since it never actively approved it, and that the decision will be up to the courts.