Judge halts construction of Trump arch two hours after final approval

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., stopped construction of a 250-foot arch planned for Memorial Circle early Friday morning. The order blocks the Trump administration from starting work for at least 14 days. This decision came less than two hours after the National Capital Planning Commission granted final approval to the project.

District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan issued the stay just before midnight. She granted a request filed by the governments of the District of Columbia and Virginia. Her 33-page opinion noted that local entities are likely to suffer harm from the construction. The arch is slated to stand on a traffic island on the bridge connecting the Lincoln Memorial to Arlington National Cemetery.

The administration had planned to begin excavation immediately after receiving the commission’s blessing. Officials stated work would occur 20 hours a day, year-round, for two to three years. Chutkan’s ruling emphasized that traffic disruptions would begin as soon as construction started. The judge agreed with the local governments that these logistical and financial harms were imminent.

The commission voted 8-4 to approve the arch after a meeting that lasted nearly nine hours. The session included 131 speakers who voiced opposition to the structure. Critics argued the arch would block views, insult veterans buried at Arlington, and complicate D.C. airspace. They also questioned the project’s legality and cost, noting the administration had not secured Congressional approval.

Proponents of the arch, including several commissioners appointed by President Trump, defended the project as a tribute to the nation. They cited a 1925 authorization for unbuilt columns as legal precedent. They also referenced recent claims by the President and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth regarding national security benefits. However, Interior Department official Greg Wischer noted that specific security details had been filed under seal in court.

D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson attempted to delay the vote by moving to postpone the decision until early December. He argued the commission needed final site and building plans before approving the project. The motion failed by a vote of 8-4. Vice Chair Stuart Levenbach, a Trump appointee, supported moving forward quickly because the project proponent was under a time constraint.

Following the vote, the administration notified the court within half an hour. Judge Chutkan then issued her order to halt work. The stay provides a temporary pause in a legal battle that includes lawsuits from Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian. These groups have challenged the arch’s legality due to the lack of Congressional authorization.

Democratic lawmakers have vowed to investigate and potentially defund the project once they regain a majority in Congress next January. Virginia Representative Don Beyer introduced a bill to prohibit and defund the arch. He expects the number of co-sponsors for the measure to grow significantly in the new year.