Excavation work on Trump’s arch in Washington to begin over next 2 weeks, administration says

Associated Press reports that the Trump administration plans to begin excavation within two weeks for a massive 250-foot memorial arch between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The proposed white-and-gold structure would bear the words “ONE NATION UNDER GOD” and feature a gold, Lady Liberty-like figure and eagles. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has called it a major piece of American architecture.

The project has received preliminary approval from the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump, but it has not yet received final approval from the National Capital Area Planning Commission. A National Park Service review supports the project while acknowledging that the enormous arch would disrupt historic sightlines connecting some of Washington’s most important monuments and landmarks.

The project is also facing a lawsuit from three veterans and an architectural historian who argue that Congress must authorize the monument before construction can proceed. Their attorney says they may ask the court to intervene before excavation begins. The Justice Department is seeking to have the lawsuit dismissed.

The arch is part of a broader effort by Trump to reshape prominent areas of Washington, including renovations to the Kennedy Center, plans for a large White House ballroom, work on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and redevelopment of a golf course at East Potomac Park.

The AP article was written by Jesse Bedayn, a national politics reporter based in Austin, Texas.