Judge swiftly blocks Trump's 250-ft arch in Washington after federal panel votes to launch construction

A federal judge has blocked construction of Donald Trump's colossal 250-foot 'Triumphal Arch' in Washington, just hours after his administration declared work may begin 'immediately.' 

Judge Tanya Chutkan dealt Trump a major setback Thursday night, granting a temporary restraining order that prevents his administration from starting work on his so-called 'Arc de Trump.'

The mammoth monument, planned for a site near Arlington National Cemetery, would tower roughly 25 stories above the ground, though exactly how much it would cost remains a mystery.

Estimates have put the price tag at as much as $100 million, but officials have yet to settle on a final figure or reveal how the project would be paid for. 

Chutkan had previously ordered the administration to give her advance notice before construction began, allowing her to intervene before any work could get underway.

Her latest order has thrown the project's timeline into further uncertainty, leaving the start of the three-year construction plan up in the air.

But the legal setback is not Trump's only headache. Democrats, riding high after their historic midterm victories on Tuesday, have vowed to kill the project when they take control of the House and Senate in January.

'The Great Gatsby party is over,' warned California Democratic Representative Jared Huffman, just hours before a federal panel convened to vote on Trump's ambitious arch idea. 

A federal judge blocked construction of Donald Trump's proposed colossal 250-foot 'Triumphal Arch' in Washington on Thursday night (pictured: a mockup of the proposed arch)

The colossal structure was set to rise near Arlington National Cemetery, reaching roughly the height of a 25-story building, though its ultimate cost remains unclear. Some estimates have placed the price tag as high as $100 million

Judge Tanya Chutkan granted a temporary restraining order that prevents the president's administration from starting work on his so-called 'Arc de Trump'

Chutkan intervened just hours after the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), the federal agency responsible for overseeing major construction and development in Washington, voted 8-4 in favor of the arch (pictured: a scale replica of proposed arch)

The commission's decision came after nearly nine hours of heated public testimony, with administration officials claiming construction could get underway within the next 24 hours 

'The arch is an illegal project. It’s a monstrosity. It’s a slap in the face to veterans and to the history and the aesthetics of this sacred place,' he added. 'It’s unthinkable that this would be allowed to proceed.'

Just hours before Chutkan's ruling, the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), the federal agency overseeing major construction and development in Washington, voted 8-4 in favor of the proposed arch.

The contentious decision came after nearly nine hours of heated public testimony, with administration officials claiming construction could get underway within the next 24 hours.

The vote laid bare a growing rift between Trump's allies and local officials, who have mounted fierce opposition to the monument.

Supporters of the arch were largely members of the Trump administration or figures with close ties to the president, while those opposing it represented the city of Washington.

Members of Congress, veterans, architects and residents from DC and Virginia came out swinging against the proposal, with some branding the monstrous structure an extravagant tribute to Trump's ego. 

'Trump is a president, not a king,' Rep Huffman testified at Thursday afternoon's commission hearing.

Marine veteran Jimi Shaughnessy said: 'A dominating arch with a carnival-like atmosphere of tourists, food trucks and buses is abhorrent and insulting to those who gave all and to their families.'

Chutkan had previously ordered the Trump administration to give her advance notice before construction began, allowing her to intervene before any work could get underway

The judge's latest order has thrown the project's timeline into further uncertainty, leaving the start of the three-year construction plan up in the air

The commission's vote laid bare a growing rift between Trump's allies and local officials, who have mounted fierce opposition to the monument

Democrats, riding high after their historic midterm victories on Tuesday, have vowed to kill the project when they take control of the House and Senate in January (pictured: model of proposed arch)

Members of Congress, veterans, architects and residents from DC and Virginia came out swinging, with some branding the monstrous structure an extravagant tribute to Trump's ego

'Instead of focusing on the issues facing military families, this administration is intent on spending taxpayer dollars to site, plan, and design a monument no one asked for, and are content with bypassing any laws or regulations that may prevent them from breaking ground,' he added.

But the project was swiftly thrown into limbo after the Obama-appointed judge issued a 14-day restraining order prohibiting the government from carrying out any 'construction-related activity' as the legal fight continues. 

The restraining order was granted at the request of Virginia and the District of Columbia, which filed a lawsuit challenging the arch's construction on October 31.

Chutkan subsequently consolidated their case with an earlier lawsuit brought by Vietnam veterans and an architectural historian, who are also fighting the proposed monument.

The judge had already raised doubts last week about the administration's efforts to fast-track construction while litigation continued, making clear she was unconvinced by its last-minute bid to rebrand the arch as a military complex. 

Trump suddenly revealed late last month that the arch would double as a military facility, housing drones and ammunition for rapid deployment in 'large numbers' and providing rooftop and plaza positions for teams of snipers. 

'For National Security purposes, I have agreed to convert the magnificent Triumphal Arch, planned since the Civil War Era many years ago, at the Receptive Circle adjoining the Arlington Memorial Bridge, into a top grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch,' he wrote on Truth Social at the time.

'There will be no facility like this anywhere in the World. Out of the 59 top cities and Capitals, Washington, DC, Is The Only One In The World That Does Not Have A Triumphal Arch, but it will now and, by far, the greatest of them all! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President Donald J Trump,' he added.

The judge had already raised doubts last week about the administration's efforts to fast-track construction while litigation continued, saying she was unconvinced by its last-minute bid to rebrand the arch as a military complex (pictured: replica of arch)

Trump revealed last month that the arch would double as a military facility, housing drones and ammunition for rapid deployment in 'large numbers' and providing rooftop and plaza positions for teams of snipers

In her ruling, Judge Chutkan acknowledged the government's 'significant interest in national security,' but said its newly claimed military functions were unsupported and suspiciously missing from the original planning documents (pictured: site of proposed arch)

Supporters of the arch were largely members of the Trump administration or figures with close ties to the president, while those opposing it represented the city of Washington

The Arc project is far from the first time Trump has invoked security concerns to justify his architectural ambitions during his second term (pictured: model of proposed arch at Great American State Fair in July)

In her ruling, Judge Chutkan acknowledged the government's 'significant interest in national security,' but said its newly claimed military functions were unsupported and suspiciously missing from the original planning documents. 

'These recent and unsupported attestations of security aspects of a structure that has been extensively discussed over the last year appear nowhere in the planning documents on which the project was reviewed and approved,' she wrote.

Virginia Democratic Representative Don Beyer, who testified against the proposed arch, welcomed the judge's decision but said a more permanent block was needed rather than a temporary two-week hiatus. 

'This fight is not over,' Beyer said. 'I will do everything in my power alongside my colleagues in the Democratic majorities just elected to the next Congress to ensure that this wasteful, disrespectful monstrosity goes nowhere.'

The arch project is far from the first time Trump has invoked security concerns to justify his architectural ambitions during his second term, as he seeks to leave both a metaphorical and literal mark on the nation's capital.

Work on elements of Trump's proposed White House ballroom has continued, with funding allocated from the Secret Service budget, even as parts of the project remain entangled in lawsuits.