Virginia and Washington DC sue to stop construction of Trump's triumphal arch at Memorial Circle
Virginia and the District of Columbia filed a federal lawsuit on Saturday seeking to block construction of President Donald Trump's planned triumphal arch at Memorial Circle, which the administration says will begin on 5 November. The White House said the arch would be "one of the most iconic landmarks" in the world.
Virginia and the District of Columbia sued in federal court on Saturday 31 October to stop construction of the triumphal arch President Donald Trump plans for Memorial Circle in Washington, NBC News and AP reported. The administration has said construction will begin on 5 November, the day the National Capital Planning Commission is due to vote on final plans.
“The construction of the Arch will inflict immediate and irreparable harm on the District and Virginia,” Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones and DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb wrote in the suit. They argue the project bypasses the specific congressional authorisation required by the Commemorative Works Act and breaks the Height of Buildings Act, as the arch is set to exceed 130 feet, and also allege violations of federal environmental and historic preservation laws. USA Today described the planned arch as 250 feet tall.
Jones called the arch Trump’s “illegal vanity project” and said it was “an affront” to nearby Arlington National Cemetery. Schwalb said construction was “flagrantly illegal.”
White House spokesperson David Ingle told NBC News the arch “is going to be one of the most iconic landmarks not only in Washington, D.C., but throughout the world” and would serve as a gateway to Arlington National Cemetery for veterans and the families of the fallen. He did not address a question about the lawsuit.
The suit adds to other legal challenges to the project, AP reported. In a separate case, US District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan questioned an administration lawyer on Friday about the plans and signalled that she could pause the project, The Washington Post reported.
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