Federal judge imposes 14-day halt on construction of Trump-backed Washington arch
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A U.S. district judge ordered a temporary pause on building the proposed 250-foot “triumphal arch” in Washington, citing pending legal review.
A U.S. district judge has placed a 14-day injunction on the start of construction for President Donald Trump's proposed 250-foot “triumphal arch” on Columbia Island. Judge Tanya Chutkan said the pause will allow the court to examine the project's legality while the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) moves forward with its approval.
The NCPC voted earlier in the week to endorse the design, which draws inspiration from Paris’s Arc de Triomphe. Critics argue the site, adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery, would obstruct views of the historic burial ground. Representative Jared Huffman (D-CA) urged the commission to reject the plan, stating, "This arch would dishonour America, our ideals and our laws," and adding that it would disrupt the “solemn connection between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.”
The interior department’s Greg Wischer described the arch as part of a “100-year plan to build a monumental work on Columbia Island.” President Trump has promoted the structure as the “greatest” of its kind and said it would be converted into a “top-grade military complex,” capable of housing drones, snipers and ammunition, according to a post on his Truth Social account.
The arch proposal is among several initiatives by the Trump administration to reshape Washington’s architecture, including a redesign of the White House and renovations to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. In August 2025, the president signed an executive order directing that classical architecture become the preferred style for new federal buildings in the District of Columbia.