Federal Monuments and Public Space

Democratic lawmakers have moved from protest to court in response to the Trump administration’s plan to build a 250-foot triumphal arch at Memorial Circle in Washington, D.C. — filing an amicus brief led by Rep. Jared Huffman arguing the president lacks authority to site and build such a commemorative work on federal land without congressional authorization. The planned structure, widely nicknamed the “Arc d’Trump,” was circulated publicly when the White House released design plans; estimates put the project’s price tag around $100 million, reportedly to be paid by private donors, but critics say it reflects misplaced priorities. Huffman has publicly labeled the proposed monument a “Christian Nationalist” project, pointing to an inscription reading “One Nation Under God,” a phrase that was added to the Pledge of Allegiance by Congress in 1954 amid Cold War anxieties.