WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
  • The National Capital Planning Commission approved Trump’s proposed 250 foot memorial arch in an 8 to 4 vote.
  • Federal judge Tanya Chutkan blocked construction for at least 14 days after Virginia and Washington, DC, filed a lawsuit.
  • More than 100 witnesses opposed the project during a nine and a half hour commission meeting.
  • Trump said the arch would store drones and sniper ammunition while supporting his effort to beautify Washington, DC.

The National Capital Planning Commission approved President Trump’s plan to begin work on a massive memorial arch just outside Washington, DC, delivering a major victory for one of his signature projects in the nation’s capital, as reported by The New York Post.

The commission voted 8 to 4 on Thursday to approve plans for the 250-foot-high arch. It would stand across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial, on a traffic circle between Arlington National Cemetery and Arlington Memorial Bridge.

The Trump administration had indicated that construction would begin immediately after the project received approval. That plan hit a legal roadblock shortly after the commission completed its vote.

Federal judge Tanya Chutkan blocked construction of the arch for at least 14 days. Her decision came in response to a lawsuit filed by Virginia and the city of Washington, DC.

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The commission’s approval followed a nine and a half hour meeting that featured testimony from more than 100 witnesses opposed to the project. Critics raised objections involving the arch’s location, appearance and approval process.

Opponents contend that the arch, which resembles France’s historic Arc de Triomphe, would obstruct the view between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial. They also argued that the administration should have sought congressional approval before moving forward.

Susan Douglas, an activist who testified virtually from an anti-arch protest, offered one of the meeting’s harshest attacks. “The arch is illegal. It is obscene. It is nothing more than a monument by and for a leader whose legacy will be vilified, as will those who support him,” she told the commission.

Rep. Jared Huffman, a California Democrat, similarly described the project as ill-advised and illegal. “This arch would dishonor America,” Huffman told the panel, while calling the proposed structure “a tribute to Donald Trump,” rather than veterans.

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Mark Paoletta, the Trump-appointed chairman of the commission, praised the president’s effort to construct the towering monument. He presented the project as an expression of national identity through grand public architecture.

“President Trump understands as president and a superb builder that it’s important to our national identity to display who we are through grand monuments,” Paoletta said. His remarks offered a sharp contrast to the parade of opposition testimony heard before the vote.

Trump disclosed additional planned uses for the structure in September. He said the arch would be used to “house, store, and have the rapid ability to use large numbers of drones, plus Snipers, on both the roof and plaza areas.”

The president also said the arch would hold “large quantities of sniper ammunition in storage.” Trump added, “There will be no facility like this anywhere in the world.”

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The arch is one of several projects Trump has undertaken around the nation’s capital during his second term. The projects are part of an effort to “beautify DC” in recognition of the 250th anniversary of the United States.

The Trump administration recently finished refurbishing the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall. It is also planning to upgrade a Washington, DC, golf course owned by the federal government and managed by the National Park Service.

Trump also sought to close the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for extensive renovations. A federal judge blocked that effort, adding another courtroom obstacle to the president’s plans for major changes around the capital.

For now, the commission’s approval remains a significant step forward for the arch, but construction cannot begin during Chutkan’s temporary order. The White House did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment Thursday night.

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