Construction on Trump’s 250-foot triumphal arch in DC could begin in just two weeks
By Mary Kay Mallonee, CNN
(CNN) — The Trump administration told a judge Wednesday evening that construction on the president’s controversial 250-foot triumphal arch could begin in just two weeks, days after the midterm elections.
The Justice Department said in Wednesday’s court filing that the National Capital Planning Commission is set to meet on November 5 and could sign off on final plans for the arch that day — and with final authorization from the Department of the Interior — “construction could commence as early as November 5, 2026.”
Thursday, a group fighting the project asked a judge for a preliminary injunction to stop construction.
“The Trump administration’s most recent filing does not change the arch’s fundamental illegality,” said Wendy Liu, an attorney representing the challengers. “Congress has not authorized the arch. Unless and until it does so, construction of this project is unlawful, regardless of what the NCPC decides on November 5.”
The administration last week released final plans for the arch — one of President Donald Trump’s pet construction projects in the nation’s capital. Wednesday night’s court filing comes in one of the lawsuits seeking to stop the arch’s construction.
Notably, the plans released last week excluded key features of a military complex including drones and snipers that Trump has used as justification for the much-criticized project. In the plans, the contours of the arch do not appear to reflect a national security purpose. Instead, they describe the project as a “ceremonial gateway” to the nation’s capital.
Trump announced in September that the arch would store large numbers of drones and function as a post for military snipers, with a large cache of ammunition. While the plans submitted last week don’t include the military components Trump described, the structure still might feature them.
The massive arch would sit directly across from Arlington National Cemetery where nearly 430,000 service members, veterans and their family members are buried. Veterans suing to stop its construction argue the towering structure would break the solemnity of funerals at the cemetery, while preservationists argue it would disrupt the sightline of the row of national landmarks that includes the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington House and the Robert E. Lee Memorial.
An Interior Department spokesperson told CNN over the weekend that the structure will “enhance the visitor experience at Arlington National Cemetery for veterans, the families of the fallen, and all Americans alike.”
The proposed arch is among several projects Trump is pursuing in an effort to remake the nation’s capital to his own personal liking, prompting legal battles from preservationists and others. The idea of the arch being needed for national security purposes mirrors an argument Trump has made for building a White House ballroom where the East Wing once stood.
The administration’s assertion that construction could begin next month drew immediate backlash from opponents of the project. Charles A. Birnbaum, CEO and founder of the Cultural Landscape Foundation, a Washington, DC-based education and advocacy organization who has been a vocal critic of Trump’s arch gave a scathing assessment.
“What better way to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary than to shut down the legally required review process, ignore some 100,000 negative public comments, and fast track the construction of a bloated and deeply unpopular monument that the president claims is for him,” he said.
Aleena Fayaz and Sunlen Serfaty contributed to this report.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
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