Donald Trump’s plan for a $100 million arch in Washington, D.C., is facing another legal hurdle as opponents seek to stop construction before it begins. Three military veterans and a retired architectural historian are asking a federal judge to block the project.
Donald Trump’s triumphal arc faces legal roadblock
The proposed 250-foot structure has become a race against the clock. In a court filing Wednesday, Trump’s lawyers revealed that construction could begin as early as November 5, 2026, if the administration secures the necessary approvals. The timeline prompted the plaintiffs to seek an immediate order preventing officials from advancing the project (via The Daily Beast).
As per the Associated Press, the veteran group’s Thursday filing asks U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to bar the administration and the National Park Service from building or facilitating any structure at Memorial Circle without congressional authorization. The plaintiffs argue that the government’s own notice signals it intends to proceed before the court rules on competing requests for summary judgment. The filing reads that “defendants have no intention of awaiting this court’s decision on the cross-motions for summary judgment and have every intention of imminently beginning construction of the arch on Memorial Circle.”
The lawsuit’s challengers say the proposed arch cannot go up without congressional approval. They also warn that the project could scar the cemetery’s surroundings and spoil some of the historic vistas that define the nation’s capital.
The timing matters because the National Capital Planning Commission is scheduled to review the site and building plans on November 5, just two days after the midterm elections. If the commission grants final approval and Trump’s Interior Department follows suit, the project could move toward construction immediately. The administration’s notice specifically identifies November 5 as the earliest possible start date. Now, Chutkan, a federal judge appointed by former President Barack Obama, ordered both parties to work out a joint briefing timetable and file their proposal by noon Friday.
