Virginia and D.C. sue to stop 250-foot Trump arch

A 250-foot tall triumphal arch is the center of a new legal battle. Virginia and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit on Saturday to halt its construction.

The 45-page complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia calls the project flagrantly unlawful. Attorneys General Jay Jones of Virginia and Brian Schwalb of the District of Columbia signed the document. They argue the arch, located between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial, will inflict irreparable harm.

The proposed structure stands twice the height of the Lincoln Memorial. The attorneys general say it will snarl traffic between the two jurisdictions. They note that construction could start as soon as next week. The officials wrote that both areas will need to take immediate and costly steps to assess and mitigate the damage. They added that these costs are severe and unrecoverable because the defendants refused to consult during the approval process.

President Donald Trump unveiled plans for the arch in October 2025. He previously described it as a military complex for holding weapons and snipers. The latest plans do not include those military elements. The National Capital Planning Commission will review the design.

The White House and the Interior Department did not respond to requests for comment on Saturday. U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkin ordered the parties to discuss a briefing schedule for the temporary restraining order motion. The deadline for that discussion is Saturday evening.