Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a 14-day restraining order after the National Capital Planning Commission voted 8-4 in favour of the monument near Arlington National Cemetery.
A federal judge has halted construction of Donald Trump’s planned 250ft “Triumphal Arch” in Washington, only hours after his administration said work could begin immediately. Judge Tanya Chutkan granted a temporary restraining order on Thursday night, barring the government from any “construction-related activity” for 14 days while the legal challenge continues. The ruling followed a vote by the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) to approve the structure, which would stand near Arlington National Cemetery. Mr Trump’s critics have nicknamed it the “Arc de Trump”.
The planning commission vote
The NCPC, the federal agency overseeing major construction and development in Washington, voted 8-4 in favour of the arch after nearly nine hours of public testimony. Administration officials said building could start within 24 hours.
Supporters of the project were largely members of the administration or people with close ties to the president. Those opposing it represented the city of Washington, and members of Congress, veterans, architects and residents of DC and Virginia also spoke against it. Some described it as an extravagant tribute to Mr Trump’s ego.
California Democratic Representative Jared Huffman told the commission: “Trump is a president, not a king.” Before the hearing, he warned that “the Great Gatsby party is over”. He called the arch “an illegal project” and “a monstrosity”, adding: “It’s a slap in the face to veterans and to the history and the aesthetics of this sacred place. It’s unthinkable that this would be allowed to proceed.”
The court ruling
Judge Chutkan, who was appointed by Barack Obama, had previously ordered the administration to notify her before construction began, so that she could intervene. She had also raised doubts the week before about attempts to fast-track the project while litigation continued, and made clear she was unconvinced by its last-minute effort to recast the arch as a military complex.
In her ruling, she acknowledged the government’s “significant interest in national security”. But she said its newly claimed military functions were unsupported. “These recent and unsupported attestations of security aspects of a structure that has been extensively discussed over the last year appear nowhere in the planning documents on which the project was reviewed and approved,” she wrote.
The military complex claim
Late last month, Mr Trump announced on Truth Social that the arch would double as a military facility, housing drones and ammunition for rapid deployment in “large numbers” and providing rooftop and plaza positions for teams of snipers.
“For National Security purposes, I have agreed to convert the magnificent Triumphal Arch, planned since the Civil War Era many years ago, at the Receptive Circle adjoining the Arlington Memorial Bridge, into a top grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch,” he wrote. He added: “Out of the 59 top cities and Capitals, Washington, DC, Is The Only One In The World That Does Not Have A Triumphal Arch, but it will now and, by far, the greatest of them all! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Cost and timescale
The arch would rise to roughly the height of a 25-storey building and is expected to take three years to complete. Its final cost remains unclear. Some estimates put the price as high as $100m, but officials have not disclosed a figure or explained how the project will be funded.
Further challenges ahead
The project also faces political opposition. Democrats, who won control of the House and Senate in Tuesday’s midterm elections, have threatened to kill it when they take power in January.
It is not the first time Mr Trump has cited security concerns to justify an architectural project in his second term. Elements of his White House ballroom are proceeding with funds allocated from the Secret Service budget, although parts of that project are caught up in lawsuits.
