Virginia and D.C. Challenge Trump's Planned Arch in Federal Court

Virginia and the District of Columbia went to federal court Saturday to try to stop construction of a triumphal arch that the Trump administration wants to build at Memorial Circle, on the Washington side of the bridge leading to Arlington National Cemetery. NBC News, CBS News and The Guardian all reported the filing.

It is the third lawsuit seeking to halt the project, and it arrives as the administration says work could begin as soon as next week. The two jurisdictions are asking for a temporary restraining order that would slow the push to start building.

What the two jurisdictions argue

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones and D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb say construction would cause immediate and irreparable harm. According to NBC News, they describe the site as a busy traffic circle next to the border between the two jurisdictions, in a historic viewshed and beside a river the District is legally responsible for protecting.

CBS News and The Guardian reported that the filing warns of snarled traffic between the jurisdictions during a three-year construction period, along with pollution and stormwater runoff in the Potomac. It also says the project could interfere with emergency services in a region where joint operations are routine. The reports note that a January 2025 midair collision between a U.S. military helicopter and a passenger airliner killed 67 people.

On legal grounds, NBC News reported that the attorneys general contend the administration is violating the Commemorative Works Act by bypassing specific congressional authorization. They also say the arch, which is set to exceed 130 feet, breaks the Height of Buildings Act, and they allege violations of the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act.

The attorneys general also said they expect the government to argue, once work starts, that stopping it would harm federal interests and upset the status quo. Jones called the project a vanity effort that disrespects Arlington National Cemetery. Schwalb said the work is clearly unlawful and would seriously harm the District and its residents.

What the White House says

White House spokesperson Ingle told NBC News and CBS News that the arch will be among the most iconic landmarks in Washington and beyond. He described it as a gateway to Arlington National Cemetery and a reminder of the sacrifices of American service members over the country's 250-year history.

In a separate statement to CBS News, he said the president has done more than any predecessor to beautify the nation's interior. NBC News reported that Ingle did not answer a direct question about Saturday's lawsuit. The Guardian said the White House did not immediately respond to its request for comment.

Administration officials have also said the arch will serve a national security function. NBC News reported that Trump wrote in September that it would be equipped to house drones and snipers, but that the final plans and renderings submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission do not include those military features.

What the plans show

CBS News and The Guardian reported that the government filed a 106-page plan on Friday. It envisions a structure more than 12 stories high, topped by a large bronze statue of Lady Liberty with wings, carrying a torch with an eternal flame. The monument would rise 250 feet, which the reports say is 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty measured from base to torch.

The design includes an observation deck with views to the east and west, an occupied roof and two mezzanines. Inside would be program space, offices, a staff lounge, circular staircases, multiple elevators and a fire command center. The plan also calls for significant traffic changes, including rerouting vehicles on nearby roads.

Why it matters for people in the region

The site sits on a major route between the District and Virginia, so the dispute directly concerns how drivers, commuters and emergency crews would move through the area during construction. The two jurisdictions say the effects would last for years and would require them to spend substantial resources to respond.

The case also adds to a broader pattern. NBC News noted that Trump has relied on national security arguments for other building projects that faced court fights, including the White House ballroom, which the president has said will be completed in the summer of 2028 and include a military complex underneath.

What happens next

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan is weighing a request to halt the project until the first lawsuit is resolved. That suit was brought by three Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian. She held a hearing Friday and did not act immediately, but she said she would move quickly, according to CBS News and The Guardian.

The National Capital Planning Commission, led by Trump appointees, is scheduled to vote on final plans Nov. 5. The administration has said in a court filing that it could begin construction the same day, despite the pending lawsuits. The commission approved initial plans earlier this year, NBC News reported.

Around Prague, based on reporting by NBC News, The Guardian, ABC News