A federal judge has temporarily halted plans to build Donald Trump’s proposed 250-foot “Triumphal Arch” in Washington, just hours after the administration said construction could begin immediately.
Judge Tanya Chutkan delivered the setback late Thursday, issuing a temporary restraining order that bars the government from beginning work on the structure, which critics have dubbed the “Arc de Trump.”
The monument was planned for an area near Arlington National Cemetery and would stand about as tall as a 25-story building. The project’s final cost, however, has not been made public.
Some estimates have put the price at up to $100 million, but officials have not confirmed the figure or explained how the construction would be financed.
Chutkan’s intervention came only hours after the National Capital Planning Commission, the federal body that reviews major development projects in Washington, approved the proposal in an 8-4 vote.
The decision followed almost nine hours of contentious public testimony. Administration officials had argued that work on the arch could get underway within 24 hours.
The vote also highlighted the sharp political divide surrounding the monument. Trump’s Washington allies supported the plan, while city officials and representatives from the District of Columbia and Virginia mounted strong opposition.
Most of those backing the arch were members of the administration or people closely aligned with the president. The project’s opponents included local leaders, residents, veterans and preservation advocates.
A federal judge has temporarily stopped construction of Donald Trump’s proposed 250-foot “Triumphal Arch” in Washington (pictured: a rendering of the planned structure)
The planned arch near Arlington National Cemetery would rise to roughly the height of a 25-story building. Its final cost remains unknown, though estimates have reached as high as $100 million
The National Capital Planning Commission voted 8-4 to approve the proposal shortly before Judge Tanya Chutkan issued her restraining order (pictured: a scale model of the proposed arch)
Members of Congress, veterans, architects and residents of Washington and Virginia sharply criticized the plan during Thursday’s hearing. Several described the massive monument as an extravagant showcase for Trump’s personal image.
“Trump is a president, not a king,” California Democratic Representative Jared Huffman told the planning commission.
The project was then pushed into uncertainty when Chutkan issued a 14-day order prohibiting the government from undertaking any “construction-related activity” while the legal dispute proceeds.
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The judge had already expressed skepticism last week about the administration’s attempt to accelerate construction during the lawsuit. She also questioned its late effort to characterize the proposed arch as a military facility.
Trump announced late last month that the structure would serve a dual purpose, with space for drones and ammunition intended for rapid deployment in “large numbers.” He also said the rooftop and plaza would include positions for sniper teams.
“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 on Truth Social.
“There will be no facility like this anywhere in the World. 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. President Donald J Trump,” he added.
In her ruling, Chutkan recognized the government’s “significant interest in national security,” but said the newly announced military features appeared unsupported. She noted that those functions were absent from the planning materials used to review the project.
The commission’s approval shortly before Chutkan’s decision underscored the conflict between Trump’s allies and local officials who have strongly opposed the proposed Washington monument
“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,” Chutkan wrote.
Trump also faces a political challenge to the project. Democrats, buoyed by their historic midterm victories on Tuesday, have threatened to block the arch after taking control of the House and Senate in January.
“The Great Gatsby party is over,” Huffman said shortly before the federal commission began voting on the proposal.
“The arch is an illegal project. It’s a monstrosity. It’s a slap in the face to veterans and to the history and the aesthetics of this sacred place,” he said. “It’s unthinkable that this would be allowed to proceed.”
The arch is not the first major architectural project Trump has defended with national security arguments during his second term. The president has made clear that he wants to leave both a symbolic and physical imprint on Washington.
Work connected to Trump’s White House ballroom project has moved forward with funding drawn from the Secret Service budget, although portions of that development remain the subject of lawsuits.
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