Veterans Seek Restraining Order To Halt Trump Arch Construction

(MENAFN- USA Art News) A group of Vietnam veterans, represented by the Public Citizen Litigation Group of Washington, D.C., filed a motion on Friday for a 14-day temporary restraining order to stop progress on a proposed 250-foot triumphal arch that former President Donald Trump intends for the nation's capital area. The plaintiffs, including veterans Michael Lemmon, Shaun Byrnes, and Jon Gundersen, along with architectural historian Calder Loth, took action after Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced on X on Thursday that“excavation work” for the arch would commence within two weeks.

Burgum stated the arch would be“one of the Great Pieces of American Architecture, honoring the history and significance of Arlington Cemetery and befitting the most powerful Capital in the World.” However, the arch has not received congressional approval. It is planned for Memorial Circle in Arlington, Virginia, across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial. Trump unveiled a model of the monument in October 2025, telling CBS News that the arch is dedicated to himself. He aims for his arch, at 250 feet, to surpass the height of Paris's Arc de Triomphe, which stands at 162.5 feet.

The plaintiffs argue the arch would disrupt vital sightlines between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. They initially filed suit in February against Trump, Vince Haley of the president's office, and the National Park Service (NPS) to halt the project without congressional authorization. In April, they agreed to dismiss their motion based on assurances that NPS would not authorize construction without posting online notice and providing at least 14 days' notice before any construction or demolition began.

The Friday filing asserts that Secretary Burgum's announced course of action is“unlawful many times over” and violates the court's April order. It claims that starting a building project creates“significant” practical problems for reversal and that the defendants have not demonstrated the exigency of beginning commemorative arch construction such that blocking it until the court rules on its legality would cause irreparable harm.

In response, the Trump administration filed a clarification, stating the new activity is“long-disclosed Phase 1B archaeological survey work” intended to comply with statutes like the National Historic Preservation Act.“This activity is not construction, or demolition in preparation for construction, of an arch,” the administration said, clarifying the work would involve digging four test pits. The plaintiffs' filing noted that Congress has been responsible for authorizing monuments and structures in Washington, D.C., since 1912.

The Supreme Court recently ruled 5–4 that construction could proceed without congressional approval in a separate suit brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, stating the nonprofit lacked standing. This ruling concerned the White House East Wing, which was reportedly razed by Trump last October to make way for a ballroom-cum-military bunker.

Source: ARTnews

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