Virginia and the District of Columbia filed a 45-page lawsuit Saturday in federal court in Washington to block construction of President Trump's proposed triumphal arch, NPR reports.
The claims
Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones and D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb call the project "flagrantly unlawful." They say construction, which could start as soon as next week, will "inflict irreparable harm," including traffic snarls between the two jurisdictions. Both, they wrote, "will need to take immediate and costly steps to assess, respond to, and mitigate these harmful effects," costs they call "severe and unrecoverable." They argue the administration refused to consult adequately with either government during a hurried approval process.
About the arch
The 250-foot arch, whose plans were unveiled in October 2025, would stand between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial and would be twice the height of the Lincoln Memorial. Trump has previously defended it and described it as a "military complex" holding weapons and snipers, but the latest plans, which the National Capital Planning Commission will review, contain no military elements.
What happens next
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ordered both sides to agree by Saturday evening on a briefing schedule for the request for a temporary restraining order. NPR said the White House and Interior Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Sources: NPR