The National Capital Planning Commission voted 8-4 on Thursday to approve President Trump's 250-foot arch in Washington. The vote followed nearly nine hours of public comment. Lawsuits seek to block the project, and a judge ordered notice before any work begins.
The National Capital Planning Commission voted 8-4 on Thursday, November 5, 2026, to approve plans for President Trump's 250-foot triumphal arch, giving the final go-ahead for the monument. Construction was scheduled to begin almost immediately. The arch is meant to commemorate the country's 250th anniversary. It would sit in Memorial Circle between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
The commission, led by Trump appointees, held an online meeting with about 130 expected public speakers and was expected to take a final vote afterward. The approval came after nearly nine hours of public comment from members of Congress, veterans, architects and residents of Washington, D.C., and Virginia.
Commission chairman Mark Paoletta, a Trump appointee, said the arch would honor the nation and its veterans and give Arlington National Cemetery a monumental gateway. Rep. Jared Huffman, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, said the plans would dishonor America, its ideals and its laws. Lemmon told the commission the arch would profoundly disturb the peace and tranquility owed to those buried at nearby Arlington National Cemetery, and called it blasphemous.
It is not yet clear when construction could start, as a number of lawsuits are seeking to block the arch. The judge presiding over the lawsuit ordered the administration to give the court at least 30 minutes' notice before any work begins.
The Trump administration has said the arch would double as a complex to store military equipment, with the ability to deploy snipers and drones. The commission's documents do not include the military usage Trump described in September.
