Federal Judge Orders 14-Day Pause on Trump’s Proposed Washington Triumphal Arch

Judge Tanya Chutkan has ordered a 14-day suspension of work on the proposed “Arc de Trump” in Washington, DC.

A federal judge in the United States has issued a temporary injunction blocking construction of President Donald Trump’s proposed 250-foot (76-metre) triumphal arch in Washington, DC.

US District Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled on Friday to pause all construction activity on the arch for 14 days. The decision comes despite statements from the Trump administration last week indicating work could commence as early as Thursday.

The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) conducted a nine-hour hearing on Thursday, ultimately approving the arch by an 8-4 vote. Dozens of witnesses testified against the project during the proceedings.

Chutkan’s ruling follows multiple legal challenges to the arch’s construction, including a lawsuit filed in February by a group of Vietnam War veterans.

Trump has proposed situating the arch near Arlington National Cemetery, where war veterans are interred. Critics have raised concerns that the structure would obstruct the sightline between the cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial.

In court filings, the veterans argued that the view corridor between the two sites was “carefully designed to symbolise the unification of the country after the Civil War and the strength of a united nation.”

The president first introduced the arch proposal last year as part of celebrations marking 250 years of US independence, comparing it to renowned monuments such as Paris’s Arc de Triomphe, completed in 1836.

The proposed “Arc de Trump” represents one of several Washington initiatives advanced by Trump. On Friday, he also signed a proclamation designating his Oval Office and Cabinet Room as a national monument.

Numerous Trump proposals have previously been blocked by federal judges. With Democrats having secured control of Congress in this week’s midterm elections, those initiatives may face heightened legislative and judicial scrutiny going forward.

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