A group of veterans is moving to put the brakes on Trump’s vanity project as he works to speed it up.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Donald Trump’s quest to build a 250-foot-tall “arch of triumph” faces its final hurdle as he attempts to fast-track the project toward construction.
The president’s lawyers laid out a stunning timeline in court filings Wednesday, revealing that Trump hoped to get permission for the gargantuan monument and begin work as early as November 5.
But three veterans and a retired architectural historian suing the Trump administration to stop construction of the cheesy arch moved to put the brakes on the project Thursday, asking District Judge Tanya Chutkan to enjoin the administration and the National Park Service “from taking any action to construct, or to direct or facilitate the construction of, any structure in Memorial Circle, without congressional authorization, during the pendency of this litigation,” according to the Associated Press.
Trump holds a model arch as he delivers a speech at a ballroom fundraising dinner.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
The State Planning Commission is expected to consider final approval of the site and construction plans on Nov. 5, two days after the midterm elections, paving the way for work to begin that day if the Trump-controlled Interior Department also approves.
“The NPS may issue such notice as early as November 5, 2026, and construction may begin as early as November 5, 2026,” the president’s notice said Wednesday.
In their brief filed Thursday, the plaintiffs argued that the notice “makes clear that defendants do not intend to await this court’s ruling on the cross motions for summary judgment and do intend to begin construction of the arch on Memorial Circle imminently.”
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Chutkan, an Obama appointee, has now given both sides until midday Friday to develop a briefing schedule and file it with the court.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump’s latest architectural monstrosity, estimated to cost at least $100 million, would dominate Memorial Circle across from Arlington National Cemetery.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit argue that the arch must be approved by Congress and say it would deface the cemetery and ruin historic views of the nation’s capital.
The arch is the subject of another lawsuit filed by the Arlington County Council in Virginia, which accuses federal agencies of ignoring environmental and safety standards in the rush to build the so-called “Trump Arch.”
Trump has previously claimed the extravagant arch could serve a second purpose as a military stronghold, complete with drones, sniper positions and munitions, although plans released last week describe it simply as a “ceremonial gateway.”
Americans opposed the ark by a margin of more than 2 to 1, with 52 percent opposing, 21 percent in favor and 26 percent unsure, in an April Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos survey. Strong opposition (41 percent) outweighed strong support (9 percent) by a margin of more than 4 to 1.
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