Virginia and D.C. sue to block construction of former President Donald Trump’s proposed triumphal arch, filing a challenge Saturday in federal court in Washington.
The 45-page complaint in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia calls the project “flagrantly unlawful,” according to attorneys general Jay Jones of Virginia and Brian Schwalb of the District of Columbia.
The filing marks the latest bid to halt the 250-foot structure, first unveiled by the Trump administration in October 2025. The attorneys general say construction could begin as soon as next week and warn it would cause “irreparable harm” to both jurisdictions, including severe traffic disruptions between Virginia and the District. The arch is planned for the area between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial and would rise to twice the height of the memorial to the 16th president.
“Both jurisdictions will need to take immediate and costly steps to assess, respond to, and mitigate these harmful effects,” the lawsuit states, adding that the expenses would be unrecoverable because federal officials moved ahead without adequately consulting either jurisdiction during what the complaint describes as a rushed approval process.
Officials said they sought comment Saturday from the White House and the Interior Department but did not receive a response.
Trump has previously defended the concept, at one point describing it as a “military complex” with weapons and snipers. The most recent plans under review by the National Capital Planning Commission no longer include military components.
Virginia and D.C. sue over approval timeline and impacts
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan directed both sides to confer and propose a briefing schedule on the request for a temporary restraining order by Saturday evening.
The suit comes amid broader legal and political clashes involving Trump and federal authority in the run-up to the 2026 elections.
