D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb and Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones are suing the Trump administration over the president’s proposed triumphal arch, seeking to block its construction by arguing that the project violates the District’s building height restrictions and poses environmental and safety threats to both jurisdictions.
The lawsuit, filed Saturday, joins a growing collection of legal challenges to the 250-foot tall structure. Officials in Arlington County have also sued the Trump administration over the arch, arguing the government had failed to complete a mandatory environmental review. A group of Vietnam War veterans filed a lawsuit in February, arguing it would impede on the nearby Arlington National Cemetery.
The D.C. and Virginia attorneys general argue that construction of the arch will disrupt historically significant sightlines intended by the architects who planned the nation’s capital, as well as snarl traffic, pollute the Potomac River and disrupt emergency services. They also allege the Trump administration has not received authorization from Congress for the project and has made only “half-hearted gestures” to comply with laws that require careful review of ambitious construction projects in the District.
“This project is flagrantly unlawful,” said the complaint from D.C. and Virginia. “The Court should not allow this cynical gambit to succeed.”
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The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit.
The matter is time-sensitive. Trump administration lawyers have said they hope to proceed quickly with construction, and a federal review panel stacked with Trump appointees could approve designs for the arch as soon as Nov. 5.
The war veterans suing Trump are also asking U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to block the project before Nov. 4. Chutkan heard arguments in the case on Friday.
Trump first proposed the arch last year as a triumphant structure to mark the country’s 250th anniversary. But recently, in the face of several legal challenges, the administration has unveiled a new, national-security focused argument in favor of the arch. In legal filings this week, Trump officials said the arch could help protect the country against coordinated drone attacks — though initial plans published by the National Capital Planning Commission did not mention national security.
The District’s “monumental core is not designed to support” the administration’s proposed military installations, Schwalb and Jones wrote Saturday.
They argued that Trump administration officials are trying to “outrun judicial review” by beginning construction as soon as the planning commission approves designs. They said the move sets the stage for the Trump administration to argue that any future order blocking construction could harm the federal government.
In addition to intensifying traffic at a major gateway to the city, construction would make it harder for first responders to travel between D.C. and Arlington County for emergencies, the attorneys general wrote. The two jurisdictions have a mutual aid agreement.
Jones, the Virginia attorney general, said in a statement that the arch was an “illegal vanity project” for Trump and an affront to Arlington National Cemetery.
“The Commonwealth has a solemn duty and a profound interest in preserving the dignity of this sacred place,” Jones said. “We will vigorously litigate to protect its sanctity and honor the legacy of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.”
The arch is one of several projects Trump has undertaken to reshape the city’s facade in his image. The administration has removed hundreds of trees from East Potomac Park as it seeks to transform the city’s East Potomac Golf Links into a “world class championship” course, drawing fears from locals about the destruction of a beloved and publicly accessible community destination.
Trump has also embarked on a significant renovation of the Kennedy Center, even adding his name to the building before a federal judge forced the administration to remove it.
“Thanks to the Builder-in-Chief, no other president has done more to beautify our Nation’s interior than President Trump,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said in a statement. “President Trump’s bold vision is ensuring the People’s House and our Nation’s Capital will be properly glorified and remain in excellent condition for generations to come.”
While Schwalb has filed several lawsuits against the Trump administration this term — including a legal challenge to the National Guard deployment in the District — Saturday’s suit is the first time D.C. officials have sought to block one of Trump’s marquee construction projects in court.
On Friday, in a hearing in the veterans’ lawsuit against the arch project, Trump administration lawyers said the arch was a “generational national defense opportunity.” Chutkan appeared skeptical about the argument. She said she would rule “expeditiously” on whether the administration can proceed with construction.
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