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Court hears challenges to Trump's planned 250-foot arch

Summarised from 5 outlets · 9 reports · Updated 31 Oct, 18:19 · Archive

A federal judge is considering whether to block construction of President Trump's proposed 250-foot arch near Arlington National Cemetery.

A federal judge is weighing legal challenges to President Trump's proposed 250-foot arch, a monument the administration says could begin construction as early as 5 November.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan heard arguments Friday from three Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian who sued to stop the project. They argue it has been rushed and lacks proper congressional approval. The judge acknowledged that the veterans' legal standing in the case is unclear but said she would consider the matter over the weekend. She did not immediately rule on their request for a preliminary injunction to block construction but said she would move expeditiously.

According to the Justice Department's court filings, construction could begin as soon as 5 November if the National Capital Planning Commission issues final approval that day. Excavation work already began in September. The plaintiffs in the Friday hearing argued that the administration will try to begin construction 'in the hope that they can render the arch a fait accompli before this Court has made a final determination', making it harder for the court to halt the project later.

The group challenging the project also argued that the arch would disrupt the symbolic connection between the Lincoln Memorial and the Robert E. Lee Memorial, which was intended to show unity after the Civil War. Shaun Byrnes, one of the veteran plaintiffs, told CBS News that his opposition was 'more about the duty I feel towards my colleagues and friends who did not come home to stand up against this project, regardless of who's in charge'. He added: 'I think it's just disrespectful to those that I served with who didn't come back, and then, of course, to all those who are lying in Arlington National Cemetery.'

The Justice Department argued that the plaintiffs' motions were 'breathless' and contended they lack legal standing to bring the case. They said the judge should follow recent Supreme Court precedent in an unrelated case involving the White House ballroom.

On Saturday, Washington, D.C., and Virginia filed a separate lawsuit against the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior, calling the project 'flagrantly unlawful'. The two attorneys general argued that the arch violates multiple laws, citing a failure to obtain required congressional authorisation and a proposed height 'nearly double' the legal limit for buildings in the nation's capital. The arch would rise 250 feet, making it 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty from its base to the torch.

The D.C. and Virginia plaintiffs warned that construction would cause 'irreparable harm', including increased traffic congestion and pollution over the estimated three-year construction period. The arch site sits at the centre of a major traffic artery between the District and Virginia, on an island that straddles the Potomac River. The attorneys predicted that once construction begins, the administration would argue that halting it would cause harm to the federal government, creating pressure for the courts to allow it to proceed.

The project is now the subject of three lawsuits. Trump has said the arch is intended to celebrate the country's 250th birthday and will serve as a munitions depository.

Court hears challenges to Trump's planned 250-foot arch
Image: Guardian World

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In this story: Donald Trump · Tanya Chutkan · Shaun Byrnes · Arlington National Cemetery · Washington, D.C. · Virginia · Justice Department · Lincoln Memorial

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