Trump's massive arch wins approval as protesters threaten to block it

A federal planning board has cleared the way for President Donald Trump's planned 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington, voting 8-4 on Thursday after almost nine hours of public testimony. The administration has said work might start within days, but several lawsuits could keep that from happening. The monument is meant to mark the country's 250th anniversary and is part of Trump's wider push to reshape the capital, according to BBC.

Commission chairman Mark Paoletta, a Trump appointee, said the structure completes a century-old vision for a major monument on Columbia Island and would give Arlington National Cemetery a gateway it deserves. The administration has also said the site would house military equipment. Critics counter that it would obstruct views of the cemetery.

Opposition came from veterans and a lawmaker. Anne Wright, who served 29 years in the military, told the BBC that protesters would chain themselves to machinery. John Pomeroy, an Air Force veteran, called the equipment-storage idea a likely terrorist target. Democratic Congressman Jared Huffman said the arch would also intrude on sightlines to the Lincoln Memorial and amounts to a tribute to Trump himself. Pending suits cite environmental, traffic and safety worries, and dispute whether Congress must authorize construction.

Summarized by PolitiKool from BBC’s reporting. Read the full story at BBC →