A federal judge has blocked construction of Donald Trump’s proposed triumphal arch for 14 days, interrupting one of the president’s most prominent efforts to reshape Washington. US district judge Tanya Chutkan issued the temporary restraining order early on Friday, November 6, following a series of government actions on Thursday to advance the project.
The National Capital Planning Commission had given final approval to the 250-foot-high, or 76-meter, monument in an 8-4 vote. The administration had indicated that construction could start once that approval was secured, the interior department issued its final authorization and the National Park Service published the required notification.
Chutkan granted a request from the latest plaintiffs challenging the arch in court. She also combined lawsuits brought by the District of Columbia and Virginia with a case involving Vietnam veterans and an architectural historian. The project’s cost and funding arrangements remain unclear, although some estimates put the price as high as $100 million.
The commission’s decision followed roughly nine and a half hours of proceedings, during which scores of people opposed the proposal. Commissioners supporting it were administration employees or had connections to Trump, who wanted construction to begin immediately. Members representing Washington opposed it. The remote hearing repeatedly suffered technical failures during its opening hours, while comments submitted alongside the proceedings were overwhelmingly negative.
Witnesses argued that the monument would undermine the solemn character of nearby Arlington national cemetery, where hundreds of thousands of fallen service members and military veterans are buried. Administration representatives presented a different rationale, describing the arch as a way to honor veterans, commemorate American history and express national identity.
Mark Paoletta, the commission’s Trump-appointed chair and general counsel at the White House Office of Management and Budget, praised the proposal and Trump’s support for monumental architecture. He pointed to the president’s comparisons with arches in Paris, Rome and London. Commissioner Paul Ingrassia, a General Services Administration lawyer, portrayed the project as a tribute to the nation that could unite people.
Phil Mendelson, a DC council member who sits on the commission, said Congress had neither provided the necessary approval nor appropriated funding. He also said the submitted plans did not refer to the military use cited by administration officials. California Democrat Jared Huffman, who is set to chair the House Natural Resources Committee, called the project illegal and argued that it honored Trump rather than veterans.
The arch is part of a broader set of presidential initiatives in Washington, including renovation of a historic public golf course and threats to demolish the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Those efforts could receive closer scrutiny following the Democrats’ gain of control of Congress.
