A federal judge has blocked construction of Donald Trump's colossal 250-foot 'Triumphal Arch' in Washington, just hours before work was potentially due to begin.
Judge Tanya Chutkan dealt the president a major blow Thursday night by blocking the go-ahead of his proposed 'Arc de Trump', a 25-story monument planned for a site near Arlington National Cemetery.
The ruling comes hours after the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), the federal agency overseeing major construction and development in Washington, voted 8-4 in favor of the proposed arch.
Beyond the legal battles and testimony from scores of people opposed to the project, Thursday's final vote exposed a sharp divide between federal and local officials.
Those backing the proposal were either members of the Trump administration or had ties to the president, who had pressed for immediate construction. Opponents, meanwhile, represented the city of Washington.
But Trump faces another looming threat. Democrats, riding high after their historic midterm victories on Tuesday, have threatened to kill the project when they seize control of the House and Senate in January.
'The Great Gatsby party is over,' warned California Democratic Representative Jared Huffman just hours before the federal panel convened to vote on Trump's arch idea.
'The arch is an illegal project. It's a monstrosity. It's a slap in the face to veterans and to the history and the aesthetics of this sacred place,' he added. 'It's unthinkable that this would be allowed to proceed.'
A federal planning agency has greenlit Donald Trump's towering 250-foot 'Triumphal Arch' near downtown Washington, with construction potentially set to begin within 24 hours
The decision clears a major hurdle for a project Trump has pursued as part of his efforts to reshape the capital region
The cost also remains uncertain. While some estimates have put the price tag as high as $100 million, it is unclear exactly how much the monument will cost or how it will be funded.
The Arc project is far from the first time that Trump has used security concerns as justification for his architectural endeavors during his second term as he is determined to leave not only a metaphorical but a literal mark on the nation's capital.
Elements of Trump's White House Ballroom project have been proceeding by having funds allocated from the Secret Service budget, despite some parts of it being caught up in lawsuits.
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