DC and Virginia file federal lawsuit to block proposed Triumphal Arch at Memorial Circle

By
FOX 5 DC

Updated October 31, 2026 12:42 PM CDT

Published October 31, 2026 9:51 AM CDT

President Donald Trump’s "Triumphal Arch"

The Brief

    • The attorneys general for D.C. and Virginia filed a federal lawsuit on Oct. 31 to halt construction of the proposed 250-foot Triumphal Arch.
    • The lawsuit argues the monument violates the District's 130-foot height limit, lacks congressional approval, and poses severe risks to traffic and aviation.
    • Federal planners could approve the project on Nov. 5, and the lawsuit claims construction could begin that same day.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The District of Columbia and Virginia have filed a joint federal lawsuit against the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior to block the proposed Triumphal Arch at Memorial Circle.

Why the District is suing

What we know:

D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb and Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones filed the 46-page complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Oct. 31. 

The lawsuit claims the planned 250-foot monument is "flagrantly unlawful," noting it nearly doubles the District's 130-foot building height limit and lacks mandatory congressional approval. 

The attorneys general argue a two-to-three-year construction period will close portions of Memorial Circle, reduce Memorial Bridge to two westbound lanes and introduce heavy construction traffic. They claim this will "snarl traffic" between the jurisdictions and impede emergency evacuation routes.

The complaint also highlights significant airspace and national security concerns. The 250-foot arch and its 320-foot construction cranes will sit near the approach to Reagan National Airport, posing risks to one of the nation's most restrictive airspaces. Those risks, the lawsuit states, are compounded by plans to use the arch as a military installation housing drones and ammunition.

The filing claims the arch will block the historic sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House—a vista designed to represent the reunited North and South after the Civil War. Environmentally, the suit argues the project threatens the Potomac River with stormwater runoff and disrupts the habitats of two endangered bat species.

D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, who serves as a member of the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), submitted a declaration supporting the suit, stating that the project circumvents clear review procedures. Mendelson previously noted, "This is not about whether one likes or dislikes the Arch. It is about following the law and respecting the responsibilities Congress assigned to the Commission."

What we don't know:

It is not yet known whether a federal judge will grant the requested injunction to halt the project before the National Capital Planning Commission's upcoming vote. The federal government has not formally responded to the new complaint in court.

What's next:

The National Capital Planning Commission is scheduled to review final site and building plans for the Triumphal Arch during a virtual meeting on Nov. 5 at 1 p.m.

According to the lawsuit, federal officials recently notified the court that if the commission approves the project, construction could commence that same day.

The Source: This article was written using information from a federal lawsuit filed by the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Virginia, as well as previous statements from the Office of D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson.

Washington, D.C.