In a single day, President Donald Trump's arch project won final approval — and then was stopped by a court order less than two hours later. A 250-foot arch near Arlington National Cemetery is now at the centre of a new legal and political battle in Washington.
What happened on Thursday, November 5?
After a hearing lasting about nine and a half hours, during which the panel heard from about 100 opponents, including Democratic lawmakers, the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) voted on Thursday evening 8–4 to approve the final plans for the arch.
The Trump administration had said construction could begin as soon as approval came, and the Interior Department issued a final decision authorising construction.
Then came the judge's order
Less than two hours after the vote, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a 14-day temporary restraining order, barring the Trump administration from starting any construction, excavation, demolition, road closures or other work on the arch at Memorial Circle, a traffic island at the Virginia end of Arlington Memorial Bridge, near Arlington National Cemetery and the Potomac River.
In a 33-page opinion, the judge said "the harm is certain", and that Washington, D.C. and Virginia — which sued on October 31 against the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior — are likely to succeed in arguing that Congress never authorised the project, under the Commemorative Works Act, a federal law requiring congressional authorisation and other approvals for memorials in the nation's capital.
What does the order mean?
The order does not permanently cancel the project. It pauses it for two weeks while the court considers the case. The judge asked the government to file a compliance report by Monday, November 9, and to set a briefing schedule.
The arch itself would stand about 250 feet tall — twice the 99-foot Lincoln Memorial — inspired by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, and was meant to draw visitors crossing from Arlington National Cemetery into Washington.
What did the sides say?
A White House spokesperson said on Friday, November 6, that the White House "commends the National Capital Planning Commission's decision to fully approve President Trump's historic vision to build a much needed Triumphal Arch in Washington, D.C.", and described the judge's order as coming from an "activist" judge who blocked the project.
Opponents — including D.C., Virginia, and Vietnam veterans who filed a separate lawsuit — say the project would disrupt traffic, emergency services and surrounding communities, and harm historic sites.
General information about an ongoing case. The order is temporary, and the case has not been decided.
Sources: USA Today, "Judge temporarily halts construction of Trump's proposed DC arch", November 5, 2026. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/11/05/trump-dc-arch-approval-construction-lawsuit/92637101007/ ; Fast Company, "Trump's D.C. arch gets 14-day restraining order from federal judge", November 6, 2026. https://www.fastcompany.com/91637237/trumps-arch-project-d-c-just-hit-major-legal-setback ; Law Commentary, "Judge Halts Trump's 250-Foot Arch Hours After Federal Approval", November 6, 2026. https://www.lawcommentary.com/articles/judge-blocks-trump-arch-federal-approval ; PEOPLE, "Construction of Trump's Arch Blocked by Judge Moments After Final Approval", November 6, 2026. https://people.com/construction-of-trump-arch-blocked-by-judge-after-final-approval-12239965
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