Virginia and D.C. file suit to stop Trump arch construction

Virginia and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit on Saturday to halt work on a proposed triumphal arch in Washington, D.C. The legal action was submitted to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

The 45-page filing describes the project as flagrantly unlawful. Attorneys General Jay Jones of Virginia and Brian Schwalb of the District of Columbia signed the document. They argue that starting construction could cause irreparable harm to both areas.

The arch is planned to be 250 feet tall. It would stand between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial. This location places it in a spot where it would be twice the height of the Lincoln Memorial. The lawsuit warns that the structure will snarl traffic between the District and Virginia.

Jones and Schwalb wrote that both jurisdictions must take immediate and costly steps to assess and mitigate the harmful effects. They stated that these costs are severe and unrecoverable. The attorneys general accused the defendants of refusing to consider these factors or consult adequately during a hurried approval process.

Plans for the arch were unveiled by the Trump administration in October 2025. President Trump previously described the structure as a military complex for weapons and snipers. Recent plans reviewed by the National Capital Planning Commission do not include those military elements.

U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkin ordered the parties to discuss a briefing schedule for a temporary restraining order by Saturday evening. The White House and the Interior Department did not respond to requests for comment on Saturday.