Administration Launches Arch Website After Court Freeze

The Trump administration launched a dedicated website for its proposed military memorial arch on Friday, one day after a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order halting construction work. The site promotes a 250-foot structure intended to stand between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. It describes the project as the United States Military Triumphal Arch.

The proposal features a design dominated by gold ornamentation and gray granite. The website displays bird's-eye views and lists specific text planned for the arch's faces, including One Nation Under God on one side and Golden Age of America on the other. The design includes towering gold doors with sculptural panels and a cherub holding a flaming torch at the summit. The site does not specify a final cost, though external estimates have reached $100 million.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued the temporary restraining order on Thursday. The ruling prohibits work on the site for 14 days. This decision followed a recent vote by a federal planning commission, which includes allies of the president, to approve the arch. The administration promoted the project four days in a single week, a pace that continued despite the legal pause.

The website details functional elements of the monument beyond its aesthetic goals. It states that the massive columns will contain storage for munitions. Areas on the pedestal and observation deck are set aside for snipers, countersnipers, and a sniper nest. An open ground area at the base is designed for launching drones and other homeland security assets. The site describes the structure as highly secretive, top level, and lethal.

The project is part of a series of renovations and construction efforts that face increased scrutiny as Democrats assume control of Congress in January. These efforts include renaming the Kennedy Center, building a White House ballroom, and modifying the Reflecting Pool. The administration declared the Oval Office a national monument on Thursday, the first day after the midterm election losses.

The website uses visual styles similar to those at the Mar-a-Lago estate, including gold cursive script for the word Triumph. It repeats claims made by the president that Washington has desired a similar structure for centuries. A photo of the president on the site quotes him as saying the arch will be the greatest and most beautiful triumphal arch anywhere in the world.