Judge orders 14-day halt to Trump’s proposed Washington arch
The temporary court order pauses construction after a planning commission approved the project despite opposition from dozens of witnesses.
By Isabella Kaur ·
A federal judge has temporarily halted construction of President Donald Trump’s proposed triumphal arch in Washington, DC, ordering a 14-day pause on work on the 250ft (76-metre) structure. US District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued the order on Friday, November 6, following legal challenges to the project.
The ruling came a day after the National Capital Planning Commission approved the arch by a vote of 8 to 4. Its decision followed a nine-hour hearing on Thursday, during which dozens of witnesses spoke against construction. The Trump administration had said the previous week that work could begin as early as Thursday.
The project has drawn several lawsuits, including a challenge filed in February by a group of Vietnam war veterans. Chutkan’s order imposes a temporary stop on construction following those challenges, even though the proposal had secured the planning commission’s approval the day before.
Trump wants the arch built near Arlington National Cemetery, the burial place of war veterans. That location has raised concerns that the structure could obstruct the view connecting the cemetery with the Lincoln Memorial. The veterans’ lawsuit highlights the significance of preserving that line of sight between the two sites.
In a court filing, the veterans said the view was “carefully designed to symbolise the unification of the country after the Civil War and the strength of a united nation”. Their challenge places the proposed arch’s effect on that connection among the concerns surrounding its construction.
Trump introduced the arch proposal last year as a way to commemorate 250 years of US independence. In describing the project, he compared it with celebrated arches elsewhere, including the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, which was built in 1836. The Washington proposal has become known as the “Arc de Trump”.
The arch is among several projects Trump has proposed for the capital. In a separate action on Friday, he signed a proclamation giving national monument status to the Oval Office and the Cabinet room.
Several judges have previously blocked many of Trump’s plans. Those proposals could also receive greater scrutiny after Democrats won control of Congress in this week’s midterm elections. For the arch, the immediate restriction is Chutkan’s 14-day construction pause.
