Federal Panel Approves Trump’s 250-Foot Arch; Judge Immediately Blocks Construction

A federal commission late Thursday approved President Donald Trump’s planned 250-foot triumphal arch at Memorial Circle in Washington, D.C., clearing a final administrative hurdle for the project. Within roughly an hour, U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan issued a temporary restraining order blocking any construction activity for 14 days while legal challenges proceed.

The National Capital Planning Commission voted 8-4 to approve the arch after more than eight hours of public testimony. The panel, which Trump has appointed allies to, including recent additions from the Interior Department and Pentagon, heard from more than 120 speakers. Administration officials had stated that construction could begin immediately after the commission’s approval and subsequent Interior Department authorization.

Chutkan’s order, issued Thursday night, enjoins the administration from “initiating, making, or otherwise effectuating any construction, excavation, demolition, land-disturbance, utility installation, or roadway-closure activity, or any other construction-related activity at or near Memorial Circle” for the purpose of building the arch. The ruling came in consolidated lawsuits brought by three Vietnam War veterans, a historic preservationist, the District of Columbia government, and the Commonwealth of Virginia. The plaintiffs argued the project lacks authorization from the current Congress and would cause immediate harms including traffic disruption and interference with emergency planning.

The proposed arch would stand on Memorial Circle, a traffic roundabout on the Virginia side of the Potomac near the Arlington Memorial Bridge, linking the Lincoln Memorial area to Arlington National Cemetery. Administration renderings depict a structure inspired by Paris’s Arc de Triomphe, rising approximately 166 feet with a 60-foot gold winged figure and flanking eagles bringing the total height to 250 feet. Trump has described the project as commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary and said it would be “like the Arc de Triomphe, but better, more beautiful actually, much more beautiful.” He has also referred to converting aspects of the site into a “top grade military complex.”

Opponents, including veterans and family members of those buried at Arlington, argued the structure would overshadow the cemetery, cast shadows on graves, disrupt the visual corridor between the cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial, and violate federal height and memorial planning restrictions. D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson, who sits on the commission, opposed the project, stating it was “invalid to say this arch was authorized by Congress” and citing a century-old plan for different columns symbolizing post-Civil War reunification. Democratic lawmakers, including Reps. Jared Huffman and Don Beyer, described the project as unauthorized by the current Congress.

Commission Chair Mark Paoletta and Vice Chair Stuart Levenbach supported the proposal. Levenbach characterized Memorial Circle as “little more than a tired traffic circle” that the arch would transform into “a monumental gateway.” Republican Reps. Andrew Clyde and Brian Mast, both military veterans, also argued in favor of the project as an honor to veterans. The commission rejected a request to postpone the vote.

Trump officials told the court that contractors were prepared to fence the site and stage materials promptly upon approval. A vehicle associated with Grunley Construction was observed at the site earlier in the week; the Justice Department later stated the firm “may be — but is not necessarily” involved in preparatory work. The administration has not publicly released the names of contractors or detailed funding sources.

Chutkan has previously questioned the urgency of the project, asking administration lawyers, “What is the harm of waiting?” and “What is the rush to put this arch up?” She has also expressed skepticism of national security justifications advanced by the government. The temporary order maintains the status quo while the court considers the broader challenges, which contend the project violates multiple federal statutes governing memorials, building heights, and congressional authorization for such structures. The administration maintains that the arch fulfills a long-standing vision for the site authorized by earlier Congresses.