A group of 19 attorneys general have moved to halt construction of President Donald Trump’s triumphal arch, arguing that a project of this magnitude cannot proceed without congressional approval and a comprehensive federal review.
The coalition of attorneys general filed an amicus brief in Lemmon v. Trump, which challenges plans to build a 250-foot arch on Memorial Circle in Arlington, Virginia, across the Potomac River from the National Mall in Washington, D.C. A statement released alongside news of the filing asserts that the plans “disregard legal procedures and would significantly degrade the aesthetic, historical, and professional interests of the nation’s capital,” as well as harm the interests of those who live in or visit the city. The brief supports a motion for summary judgment, which would see the court resolve the case without going to trial.
Trump announced last week his intention to fast-track construction of the proposed arch, which would be built between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial, which sits on the other end of the Arlington Memorial Bridge. The plan calls for year-round construction for up to 20 hours a day, with the goal of completing the project within three years, despite mounting criticism of nearly every aspect of the proposal.
“This proposed arch isn’t a presidential triumph; it’s a monumental tragedy. Across the country, everyday Americans are struggling with affordability, but Trump’s attention seems to be focused on himself,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta in a statement.
A lawsuit filed in February by a group of Vietnam veterans to block the construction of the arch alleged that at 250-feet-high—twice the size of the the Lincoln Memorial—the structure would exacerbate traffic around the busy thoroughfare and obstruct the view of the Arlington National Cemetery. “It will dominate the views of and the relationship between the surrounding memorials … disrupting the historic and symbolic link between the two,” the lawsuit reads.
The planned site for the arch, just 3,000 feet from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, has also raised serious aviation concerns. A preliminary review by the Federal Aviation Administration found that the arch would need to be equipped with red obstruction lights because it lies within the airport’s primary approach and departure corridor. The arch’s intended height—significantly larger than Paris’s iconic 162.5-foot-tall Arc de Triomphe—also raises flight-safety concerns. Cranes required for construction could reach heights of up to 320 feet, potentially creating hazards for aircraft operating at altitudes as low as 500 feet. A full FAA review of the project is underway, reports the New Republic.
Trump has not sought approval from Congress for the arch and has appeared to contradict his earlier promise that it would be entirely privately funded, with remaining donations coming from his similarly controversial White House ballroom project. The Trump administration has allocated $15 million from the National Endowment for the Arts, according to a spending plan released by the Office of Management and Budget in April.
Trump’s monument-building efforts around Washington have triggered a wave of litigation. In March, a federal judge ruled that Trump acted beyond his authority in razing the White House East Wing, and ordered that construction on the ballroom intended to replace it “has to stop.” Meanwhile, a coalition of Washington-based preservation and cultural groups has sued to halt progress on Trump’s proposed “National Garden of American Heroes.” The lawsuit, filed on Monday, argues that the statuary garden planned for West Potomac Park has not secured congressional approval.
“Congress put clear laws in place to safeguard the National Mall from new construction and to ensure the public has a meaningful voice in decisions about landscapes that belong to them as spaces open to all,” Tiernan Sittenfeld, president and CEO of the National Parks Conservation Association, said in a statement this week.
