A federal judge has issued a 14-day restraining order halting construction on President Donald Trump’s triumphal arch in Washington, D.C. The temporary order, issued by US District Judge Tanya Chutkan in the early hours of Friday, blocks work for two weeks while the court considers challenges to the project's legality.
The order follows a Thursday vote by the National Capital Planning Commission, which approved the 250-foot-high gilded arch in an 8-4 decision. The approval came after a nine-hour hearing where dozens of witnesses spoke in opposition to the construction. The Trump administration had indicated it could launch construction within a day of the vote.
Known as the Arc de Trump, the structure is part of the president's vision to remake Washington. Trump has stated that the arch would be turned into a top grade military complex housing ammunition, snipers, and drones.
While the federal panel's approval cleared a major hurdle, the project continues to face legal challenges. The judge's intervention serves as a significant setback for the administration, which had hoped to begin work immediately after the commission's late Thursday approval.