DC and Virginia Sue to Block Trump Arch Construction
It’s the latest in a volley of legal efforts to stop the president from remaking the city in his image.
The U.S. Capitol and a model of President Donald Trump's proposed Triumphal Arch are seen at the Great American State Fair on July 3, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington. | Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
By Gregory Svirnovskiy and Josh Gerstein
October 31, 2026 11:53 AM EDT
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Washington, D.C., and Virginia filed a lawsuit Saturday seeking to block the construction of President Donald Trump’s planned Triumphal Arch on the outskirts of the nation’s capital.
It’s the latest in a series of legal challenges to prevent the president from altering the city’s landscape. Construction on the 250-foot arch—which would tower over the nearby Arlington National Cemetery—could commence as early as November 5, according to a court filing from the administration.
“This is not the first time that Defendants have rushed to dramatically remake the District too quickly for courts to intervene,” the attorneys general for D.C. and Virginia wrote in the lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court in Washington. “This Court should not allow this effort to escape judicial scrutiny. It should declare the arch unlawful, enjoin its construction, and ensure that Congress—and the people it represents—have the final say in any new monuments constructed in the Nation’s capital.”
The National Park Service and Department of the Interior, along with their respective leaders Jessica Bowron and Doug Burgum, are named as defendants in the complaint. Neither agency responded to a request for comment.
Related Tags:
- White House
- Donald Trump
- Department Of The Interior
- Doug Burgum