NCPC Set to Approve Trump’s 250-Foot Arch as Judge Weighs Bid to Block Construction
Updated
Updated · NBC Washington · Nov 6
NCPC Set to Approve Trump’s 250-Foot Arch as Judge Weighs Bid to Block Construction
3 articles · Updated · NBC Washington · Nov 6
Summary
A key federal panel was expected Thursday to give final approval to President Trump’s 250-foot memorial arch near Arlington National Cemetery, with the administration saying construction could begin the same day.
A 30-minute disruption hit the hourslong NCPC hearing after what the chairman called a malicious attack on the agency’s website, but he said the meeting would finish Thursday even if it ran past midnight.
131 people had registered to speak, and most testimony urged the commission to delay, relocate or scrap the project; nearly 1,000 pages of public comments were also largely opposed.
Three lawsuits are already challenging the arch, and Judge Tanya Chutkan ordered the government to notify her within 1 hour of any NCPC, National Park Service or Interior decision as she considers whether to halt construction.
The 250-foot structure—100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty without its pedestal—is part of Trump’s broader push to reshape Washington, a campaign likely to face tougher scrutiny after Democrats won Congress.