Virginia and D.C. sue to halt construction of 250-foot Trump arch

Virginia and the District of Columbia filed a 45-page lawsuit on Saturday to stop construction of President Donald Trump's proposed triumphal arch. The legal action targets a structure that stands 250 feet tall, which is twice the height of the Lincoln Memorial.

Attorneys general Jay Jones of Virginia and Brian Schwalb of the District of Columbia described the project as flagrantly unlawful in their filing to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. They argue that the arch would be situated between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial. The plaintiffs claim that starting construction as soon as next week will inflict irreparable harm on both jurisdictions.

The lawsuit states that the arch would snarl traffic between the District and Virginia. It notes that both areas would need to take immediate and costly steps to assess and mitigate these effects. The attorneys general wrote that these costs are severe and unrecoverable because the defendants refused to adequately consult with either jurisdiction during the approval process.

This is the latest legal attempt to block the arch, whose plans were unveiled by the Trump administration in October 2025. Trump has previously defended the plans, describing the arch as a military complex intended to hold weapons and snipers. However, the most recent plans reviewed by the National Capital Planning Commission do not include those military elements.

U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkin ordered both sides to talk and agree on a proposed briefing schedule regarding the motion for a temporary restraining order by Saturday evening. The White House and the Interior Department did not respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit.