Judge Temporarily Blocks Construction of Trump's 250-Foot Arch
A federal judge has temporarily blocked construction of President Donald Trump's proposed 250-foot arch near Arlington National Cemetery. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan's order bars the Trump administration from breaking ground or starting work on the arch for 14 days, or two weeks, while the court considers challenges to the project's legality, according to CBS19.
The arch would stand 250 feet, or 76 meters, tall on Memorial Circle. That is a traffic island on the bridge linking the Lincoln Memorial to Arlington National Cemetery. The National Capital Planning Commission voted 8-4 to approve the proposal.
The Trump administration said it could begin excavation work on the same day the commission approved the arch. Judge Chutkan had asked the government to notify the court within one hour of that approval. In a midday court filing, government lawyers said white paint markings on the Memorial Circle grass were applied on Saturday by the government's designated construction firm.
A group of Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian sued the government earlier in 2026. They argue the arch is unlawful without approval from Congress. The District of Columbia and Virginia governments jointly filed a similar lawsuit over the weekend before November 6. Judge Chutkan consolidated the arch lawsuits, and the plaintiffs have asked for a preliminary injunction, a court order that would pause construction while the case is heard.
The U.S. Department of Justice said the triumphal arch would not be completed until Trump leaves office.
The commission's meeting began at 1 p.m. and was held virtually because of the high volume of public testimony. A total of 131 people signed up to speak, and commissioners heard testimony for nearly nine hours. Among the written comments, U.S. Representative Jared Huffman urged the commission to reject the final design of the project. Retired U.S. Army Colonel Ann Wright also submitted testimony on the November action. Robert Wald opposed construction on environmental, historical and safety grounds, and Diane DeFries objected on aesthetic grounds.
The commission's next meeting is scheduled for December 3, 2026, at 1 p.m. as an online meeting.
