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Trump's 250-Foot Arch Nears Final Approval, Faces Legal Challenges
· Confirmed
In Short: President Donald Trump's proposed 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C., is nearing final approval despite ongoing legal challenges and concerns from preservationists.
President Donald Trump's proposed 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C., is nearing final approval despite ongoing legal challenges and concerns from preservationists. The arch, also known as the 'Arc de Trump,' would be the largest of its kind in the world, surpassing the 220-foot Monumento a la Revolución in Mexico City and the 164-foot Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has determined that the arch would require an 'eternal flame' on top and floodlight projectors to alert nearby pilots, as it would not pose a danger to aircraft. The FAA spokesperson told The Hill on Saturday, September 19, that the arch would need to be marked with a non-standard eternal flame and floodlight projectors to make it noticeable for pilots, providing an average illumination of at least 15 foot-candles (161.46 lux) over the top one-third of the structure.
Critics argue that the arch would be 'entirely inappropriate' and close to 'sacrilege' because it would block the view between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The National Park Service received over 100,000 comments during a June historic-preservation review, with many raising concerns about the arch's scale, construction, and potential effect on the sightline linking the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington Memorial Bridge, Arlington National Cemetery, and Arlington House.
The Trump administration plans to break ground on the arch in the coming days, despite an ongoing lawsuit from three Vietnam veterans and a preservationist who argue that the arch would mar Arlington National Cemetery and nearby memorials and requires explicit congressional approval. The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) will review the plans next Thursday, and if it gives the required approval, construction will begin that day.
In court filings Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the arch as a 'generational national defense opportunity,' highlighting its potential to host snipers, coordinate responses to drone attacks, and protect the capital. The administration is facing a lawsuit from legal groups, Democrats, and veterans' organizations who contend it lacks congressional approval and damages the cemetery's historical landscape.
The Trump administration disputes the need for congressional approval, but it has acknowledged the authority of the federal planning commission, which hasn't approved the arch and doesn't meet again until early October. The White House told NPR in a statement on Friday that work will begin that does not require approval, but rather helps in the process.
Historic preservation experts have long criticized the Trump administration for seeming to rush the arch approval process, including by moving to weaken protections for historic sites altogether. A federal judge recently reaffirmed an order requiring the administration to give 48 hours' notice to the court before beginning any construction at the site.
Background
President Donald Trump's proposed 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C., is nearing final approval despite ongoing legal challenges.
Virginia and Washington, D.C., have filed a lawsuit to halt construction of President Trump's proposed 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery.
What's confirmed
- President Donald Trump's proposed 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C., is nearing final approval despite ongoing legal challenges and concerns from preservationists. The arch, also known as the 'Arc de Trump,' would be the largest of its kind in the world, surpassing the 220-foot Monumento a la Revolución in Mexico City and the 164-foot Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has determined that the arch would require an 'eternal flame' on top and floodlight projectors to alert nearby pilots, as it would not pose a danger to aircraft. The FAA spokesperson told The Hill on Saturday, September 19, that the arch would need to be marked with a non-standard eternal flame and floodlight projectors to make it noticeable for pilots, providing an average illumination of at least 15 foot-candles (161.46 lux) over the top one-third of the structure.
- Critics argue that the arch would be 'entirely inappropriate' and close to 'sacrilege' because it would block the view between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The National Park Service received over 100,000 comments during a June historic-preservation review, with many raising concerns about the arch's scale, construction, and potential effect on the sightline linking the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington Memorial Bridge, Arlington National Cemetery, and Arlington House.
- The Trump administration plans to break ground on the arch in the coming days, despite an ongoing lawsuit from three Vietnam veterans and a preservationist who argue that the arch would mar Arlington National Cemetery and nearby memorials and requires explicit congressional approval. The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) will review the plans next Thursday, and if it gives the required approval, construction will begin that day.
- In court filings Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the arch as a 'generational national defense opportunity,' highlighting its potential to host snipers, coordinate responses to drone attacks, and protect the capital. The administration is facing a lawsuit from legal groups, Democrats, and veterans' organizations who contend it lacks congressional approval and damages the cemetery's historical landscape.
- The Trump administration disputes the need for congressional approval, but it has acknowledged the authority of the federal planning commission, which hasn't approved the arch and doesn't meet again until early October. The White House told NPR in a statement on Friday that work will begin that does not require approval, but rather helps in the process.
- Historic preservation experts have long criticized the Trump administration for seeming to rush the arch approval process, including by moving to weaken protections for historic sites altogether. A federal judge recently reaffirmed an order requiring the administration to give 48 hours' notice to the court before beginning any construction at the site.
What's still developing
- The Arch would be built along the Arlington Memorial Bridge, which connects the North and South and represents the country’s reunification after the Civil War.
- "We will of course continue on our path of seeking final approval from all applicable entities." The White House, Department of the Interior and National Park Service did not respond to NPR's questions about the timeline and extent of the excavations or the addition of the word "military" to the structure's title.
- Interior Secretary Doug Burgum wrote on social media Thursday that "we are preparing to start, over the next two-week period, the excavation work necessary for the Great Triumphal Arch and Military Observation Deck."
- Trump has announced that the arch will serve as both a monument and a 'top grade Military Complex,' capable of storing and rapidly deploying drones, snipers, and ammunition.
- Two of President Trump's Cabinet members are pitching his planned 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington not as a vanity monument, but as a defense asset, the Washington Post reports.