Public Citizen Files New Motion to Block Construction of Trump’s Vanity Arch
WASHINGTON D.C. — In response to a Trump administration court filing stating that it may break ground on Trump’s vanity arch as soon as November 5, Public Citizen filed a motion asking the court to block construction while the lawsuit, Lemmon v. Trump, proceeds. Congress has not authorized the project.
Public Citizen filed this lawsuit in February 2026 on behalf of three Vietnam veterans and an architectural historian. The lawsuit explains that constructing such a monument on Memorial Circle without Congress’s approval is unlawful. And as the administration itself has found, the planned arch would have a negative impact on more than 40 historical properties in the monumental core of the Nation’s capital.
“The law is clear. Trump’s arch cannot move forward without Congressional approval,” said Wendy Liu, Public Citizen Litigation Group attorney and counsel for the plaintiffs. “We are asking the court to halt construction before the administration makes it a fait accompli.”