US judge blocks Trump’s massive arch project
A US federal judge blocked President Donald Trump’s massive triumphal arch project on Thursday, casting doubt over the future of the project hours after it was greenlit by a public commission.
District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing the case, ruled that the Trump administration cannot start construction on the arch for two weeks while the court considers challenges to its legality.
The National Capital Planning Commission had voted 8-4 to approve the project earlier Thursday, despite hearing hours of testimony from dozens of furious opponents who questioned its legality and purpose.
Chief among the complaints was the location of the 76-meter (250-foot) tall structure: adjacent to the hallowed Arlington National Cemetery, the final resting place for hundreds of thousands of American service members.
The giant arch would be much taller than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, its inspiration.
It would also tower over the Lincoln Memorial, directly across the Potomac River.
The arch is one of several projects launched by Trump in a bid to put his personal stamp on the capital, many of which have prompted legal challenges.
