An Overarching Vanity Exercise: Attorney General Bonta Joins Amicus Brief to Halt Trump Administration’s Washington D.C. Arch

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined a coalition of 19 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in Lemmon v. Trump, which challenges the Trump Administration’s plans to construct a monumental arch in the District of Columbia without obtaining required congressional approval. The plans for the 250-foot structure — commonly referred to as Independence Arch or Triumphal Arch — disregard legal procedures and would significantly degrade the aesthetic, historical, and professional interests of the nation’s capital and those who visit or live there. The brief, which supports a motion for summary judgement, challenges the Trump Administration’s failure to seek congressional approval to construct the proposed arch and highlights the states’ collective interest in ensuring that the capital remains faithful to the Founders’ vision of a place for all Americans.

“This proposed arch isn’t a presidential triumph; it’s a monumental tragedy. Across the country, everyday Americans are struggling with affordability, but Trump’s attention seems to be focused on himself,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Much like the wrestling circus this past weekend, this project is a vanity exercise that will hurt the historical and functional value of our nation’s capital. That’s why my fellow attorneys general and I are calling on the court to halt this overreach of authority. Americans deserve a capital that tells the story of the nation and its people, not a person.”  

In October 2025, President Trump announced plans to construct a new monumental arch planned to be as tall as 250 feet — more than double the size of the Lincoln Memorial. When asked who the arch was for, Trump told a journalist: “Me.” Its location on Memorial Circle would situate the monument on an axis between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, obstructing a line of sight that was designed to represent the unification of the nation following the Civil War and that has existed for nearly a century. As currently proposed, the arch would disrupt the ceremonial entrance to Arlington National Cemetery and the more than 400,000 active-duty service members, veterans, and their families who rest there. It would also pose a hazard to air travel at the nearby Reagan National Airport and would likely increase traffic at Memorial Circle which is heavily used by motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians both for recreation and for commuting.

Since the 18th century, the placement of monuments in the nation’s capital has been the subject of careful and deliberate design. By statute, congressional approval is required for construction of symbolic and commemorative works in the nation’s capital but in February 2026, it was reported that President Trump would imminently order construction to start without approval from Congress under the Commemorative Works Act. Other statutes — including but not limited to, the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1970 (NEPA) — also impose procedural requirements that must be satisfied before such federal projects can be executed.

In the brief, Attorney General Bonta and the coalition assert that:

• The District of Columbia is a capital for all Americans with monuments and memorials that echo, honor, and celebrate the history of the entire nation, States included.
• Congressional approval and regulatory review of new monuments safeguard the capital’s national character.
• The planned arch raises substantial concerns that the statutory process would address.

In filing this brief, Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of Virginia, the District of Columbia, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.