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Politics

Federal Judge Blocks Construction of Trump’s 250-Foot Triumphal Arch for 14 Days

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a temporary restraining order hours after a federal planning commission approved the arch, finding the District of Columbia and Virginia are likely to succeed in arguing Congress never authorized it.

By admin Nov. 6, 2026 · 9:41 AM ET 2 min read

Arlington Memorial Bridge over the Potomac River at dawn, with the Lincoln Memorial on the far bank.

A federal judge temporarily blocked construction of President Donald Trump’s proposed 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington on Thursday night, hours after a federal planning commission approved the project. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan granted a temporary restraining order sought by the District of Columbia and Virginia, barring the administration from starting work for 14 days.

The National Capital Planning Commission voted 8-4 late Thursday to approve the project after hearing from about 100 opponents, including Democratic lawmakers. Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia said the project would “snarl traffic for years, impact the nearby airport, and present even more serious threats to public safety that this commission has refused to acknowledge and grapple with.”

The stone facade and columns of a federal courthouse building in Washington, D.C., under a cloudy sky.
A federal courthouse building in Washington, D.C. Judge Tanya Chutkan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued the order.

The case against the arch

The District of Columbia and Virginia sued the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior on Oct. 31, calling the project “legally indefensible” and arguing Congress never authorized the monument. In a 33-page ruling, Chutkan found the two governments are “likely to succeed” in that argument. The administration contends Congress approved the arch more than a century ago, when it authorized construction of a bridge across the Potomac River.

Chutkan directed federal officials to notify employees, contractors and subcontractors that construction-related activity is prohibited under the order, and to update the court by Nov. 9 on those notification efforts and certify their compliance. An earlier lawsuit by three Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian, filed in February, is still pending.

A three-year project, on hold

The arch would stand at Memorial Circle on Columbia Island, near the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery and across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial. Modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, it would rise to 250 feet with gold statues on top and take about three years to build, with the first six to eight months devoted to excavation and foundation work.

Trump has promoted the project as both a landmark and a military asset. Speaking on Nov. 2 during an event about improvements to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, he said the arch could house drones and snipers. “It’s right smack in the middle of everything, so very important for our military. But from a beautification standpoint, it’ll be the most beautiful arch in the world,” he said. The National Park Service says the arch would honor the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Reporting based on coverage by USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg Law.

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