Trump administration plows ahead with groundbreaking for the president’s ‘triumphal arch’
Trump’s Arch Groundbreaking Proceeds Despite Legal Hurdles
Activelifezero.com – Trump administration plows ahead with excavation plans for President Donald Trump’s “Great Triumphal Arch” in Washington, D.C., even as a pending federal lawsuit, incomplete planning approvals, and an unfinished aviation-safety review remain unresolved. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced Thursday that ground-breaking work is expected to commence within two weeks, a timeline critics say disregards multiple statutory prerequisites.
“We are pleased to announce that after a very long wait (over 125 years!), we are preparing to start, over the next two-week period, the excavation work necessary for the Great Triumphal Arch,” Burgum wrote on X.
A Century-Old Idea Finally Meets the Ground
The notion of a triumphal arch near the Lincoln Memorial dates to the early 1900s, when architects and veterans’ organizations first floated a monumental structure honoring World War I soldiers. For more than a hundred years the concept circulated through planning documents, congressional hearings, and political speeches without ever reaching construction. The current administration frames the arch as the fulfillment of that long-dormant aspiration rather than a novel initiative.
Legal justification for the project leans on a 1925 congressional authorization that approved decorative columns near the proposed site. Those columns were never erected. Officials contend the 1925 statute supplies sufficient legislative cover for the arch itself, obviating the need for new congressional action. Members of both parties dispute that interpretation.
The Lawsuit and the Standing Question
As the Trump administration plows ahead toward ground-breaking, plaintiffs including veterans argue the arch would sever the historic sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, as well as the view of Arlington House, the memorial to Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The suit also contends that requisite congressional authorization is absent and that multiple regulatory prerequisites remain unmet.
The Justice Department filed a motion Thursday asking a federal court to dismiss the case. DOJ cited a recent 5-4 Supreme Court decision that allowed construction of the East Wing Ballroom — another Trump-era White House project — to proceed, reasoning that the challengers had not shown a concrete, particularized injury. The department drew a direct parallel to the arch matter:
“Plaintiffs cannot establish standing based on desires to view Arlington House or the Lincoln Memorial.”
Nicolas Sansone, an attorney at Public Citizen representing the plaintiffs, said his team would respond as quickly as possible to the government’s motion.
“We’re frankly befuddled as to what sorts of legal authority the government believes that has to begin on the ground construction of the arch,” Sansone said.
Planning and Aviation Reviews Remain Incomplete
The National Capital Planning Commission and the Department of the Interior share review authority over significant alterations to government property in the capital. The NCPC has granted only preliminary approval; its next monthly meeting, scheduled for October 1, is the earliest date a final vote could occur. Before that vote can be placed on the agenda, a Section 106 review under the National Historic Preservation Act must be completed — a process that can stretch over months depending on scope. Even as the Trump administration plows ahead on its two-week timeline, regulators note that neither the historic-preservation review nor the final planning vote has been finished.
Separately, the Federal Aviation Authority continues examining the arch’s impact on air traffic. The structure would rise less than two miles from a runway at Reagan National Airport, one of the country’s busiest airports. FAA rules require a formal review for any structure exceeding 200 feet in height located where it could interfere with controlled airspace. A preliminary FAA study found no direct flight hazard but recommended red obstruction lights. That preliminary finding does not satisfy the completed review the agency’s regulations mandate before construction may begin.
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