Arlington County Sues Over Trump's Planned Triumphal Arch
The county cites potential negative impacts and alleges a rushed review process for the monument near the Pentagon.
Arlington County, Virginia, has filed a lawsuit challenging the construction of President Donald Trump's planned Triumphal Arch, marking the first time a governmental body has taken legal action against the monument. The suit, lodged in the Eastern District of Virginia, contends that the National Park Service is proceeding too quickly toward ground-disturbing construction without adequately addressing environmental and community impacts.
The lawsuit asserts that the National Park Service's "rushed process" appears to be a "pretext designed to shore up justifications for building the Arch in accordance with the President’s repeated marching orders." Arlington County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti stated that the county has "the most to lose from this egregious and unlawful proposed project" and has seen its concerns about "severe, unique, and wide-ranging negative impacts" ignored.
The county is seeking to halt the "feverish pace toward construction of the arch" to ensure compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, including proper analysis and testing. Memorial Circle, the proposed site for the arch, is federal parkland located west of the Potomac River, adjacent to Arlington County.
Democracy Forward, a legal advocacy group, is representing Arlington County in the lawsuit. The White House and the Interior Department have not yet responded to requests for comment.
This legal challenge follows other recent objections to the project. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA President Sara Nelson previously raised concerns about the arch's design, which includes plans for it to function as a "top grade military complex" capable of housing drones and snipers, and storing ammunition. Nelson also cited unaddressed safety issues related to the monument's proximity to airspace over the Potomac River.
Separately, a group of veterans and an architectural historian filed a lawsuit in federal court in Washington, D.C., arguing that congressional approval is required for the arch. A judge in that case has ordered the administration to provide 48 hours' notice before undertaking any construction-related activities.
The Triumphal Arch is among several projects in Washington undertaken during Trump's presidency, which have included renovations to a public golf course and proposals to demolish the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.