WASHINGTON — The legal challenges to President Donald Trump’s proposed memorial arch are mounting, with the District of Columbia and Virginia suing in federal court Saturday as the administration says construction could begin as early as next week .
Inside the arch are rooms for program space, offices, a staff lounge, circular staircases, multiple elevators and a “fire command center. The project proposes significant traffic changes in the area, including rerouting traffic on nearby roads. On Friday, the government submitted a 106-page plan for the arch that envisions a massive structure more than 12 stories high that includes a huge bronze statue of Lady Liberty with wings and carrying a torch with an eternal flame.
The structure would include an observation deck with views to the east and west, an “occupied roof” and two mezzanines. Administration officials have said the arch also will have a national security function. Chutkan asked what the urgency was and how would the government be harmed “apart from the executive’s desire to bedazzle the city” if she issues a preliminary injunction while the lawsuit plays out. Administration lawyer Robert Stander said the arch was “absolutely a high priority project” and were Chutkan to step in, that would impede the work of the government.
“It will serve as a gateway to Arlington National Cemetery for veterans, the families of the fallen, and all Americans alike, serving as a visual reminder of the noble sacrifices borne by so many American heroes throughout our 250 year history so we can enjoy our freedoms today. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan is already considering issuing an order to halt the project until the original lawsuit against the Trump administration by three Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian is resolved. As the original plaintiffs have, they also are seeking a temporary restraining order that would slow the administration’s plans to move ahead imminently with construction.
She held a hearing Friday but did not immediately act, though she said she would move expeditiously. “The Triumphal Arch in Memorial Circle is going to be one of the most iconic landmarks not only in Washington, D.C., but throughout the world,” said White House spokesman Davis Ingle in an email. The Republican administration, in a recent court filing, said it had plans to seek final approval of the project, a Trump-favorite, at Thursday’s meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission and possibly begin construction the same day, despite the then-two active lawsuits pending.
