{"id":1926,"date":"2026-06-19T16:10:31","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T16:10:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextaddressamerica.com\/?p=1926"},"modified":"2026-06-19T16:10:31","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T16:10:31","slug":"new-administration-memo-argues-trump-can-destroy-dc-skyline-if-he-wants-to","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextaddressamerica.com\/?p=1926","title":{"rendered":"New administration memo argues Trump can destroy DC skyline if he wants to"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>Over the course of his second term, President Donald Trump has been focused on his wide-ranging vanity projects above almost anything else. While some of his efforts have encountered obstacles due to building regulations, his administration is now attempting a new argument to skirt one rule in particular, essentially asserting that, as the government, they can build whatever they want \u2014 even if it destroys the historic D.C. skyline. <\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextaddressamerica.com\/?p=1925\">Critics tear apart Trump after he claims his presidential powers have \u2018no limits\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n<p>As the Washington Post reports, \u201cThe Trump administration is arguing that new federal construction projects \u2014 including President Donald Trump\u2019s controversial 250-foot arch \u2014 are not subject to a federal law that restricts most construction in Washington to a maximum height of 130 feet. An Interior Department  posted Thursday offers a new interpretation of the Height of Buildings Act, which was enacted in 1910 to preserve the capital city\u2019s historical views and character. The law has traditionally been applied to federal projects, helping preserve Washington\u2019s distinctive skyline.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the memo, however, Interior officials argue that the Height Act should be considered a local zoning law focusing on private property that doesn\u2019t impact federal construction.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat interpretation would reverse a long-held stance by the National Capital Planning Commission, which is considering whether to approve Trump\u2019s project,\u201d explained the Post. \u201cThe administration\u2019s new stance also would allow Trump \u2014 who has built skyscrapers across the world \u2014 to build any tall federal structure in Washington, too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Historians, architects, and Democratic lawmakers disagree. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cCongress, not the Executive, decided in 1910 that Washington would remain a horizontal city, and Congress has preserved that judgment ever since,\u201d congressional Democrats wrote to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Tuesday, warning him against building the arch. <\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextaddressamerica.com\/?p=1923\">Trump\u2019s \u2018humiliating defeat\u2019 a big win for one of his top enemies: Nobel economist<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The National Planning Capital Commission, which the Post notes Trump has \u201cpacked with allies,\u201d is meeting on July 9th to potentially approve the arch. Career staff on the commission who were not appointed by Trump have argued that the Height Act should apply, reminding in a recent report that \u201cNCPC has always applied the Height of Buildings Act to federal projects.\u201d The president\u2019s commission head appointee, Will Scharf, however, has suggested otherwise, and it was he who requested that the memo be drafted and distributed to the Interior Department. <\/p>\n<p>According to the Post, \u201cMost Americans oppose the planned arch, with 52 percent against it and 21 percent in favor, according to a Washington Post-ABC-Ipsos <u>poll conducted in April<\/u>. The project is also facing a lawsuit brought by <u>several military veterans<\/u> who say the towering structure would alter their visiting experience to nearby Arlington National Cemetery.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Trump\u2019s vanity projects have encountered a number of problems recently, such as his effort to restore the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Peeling paint and green algae blooms have marred the pool over the course of the project, amid accusations that Trump used no-bid contractors with ties to him politically, including his <u>Mar-a-Lago neighbor<\/u>.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextaddressamerica.com\/?p=1922\">Republican warns Trump his voting \u2018Hail Mary\u2019 won\u2019t cut it<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over the course of his second term, President Donald Trump has been focused on his wide-ranging vanity projects above almost anything else. While some of his efforts have encountered obstacles due to building regulations, his administration is now attempting a new argument to skirt one rule in parti&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":790,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1926","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>New administration memo argues Trump can destroy DC skyline if he wants to - Next Address America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextaddressamerica.com\/?p=1926\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"New administration memo argues Trump can destroy DC skyline if he wants to - Next Address America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Over the course of his second term, President Donald Trump has been focused on his wide-ranging vanity projects above almost anything else. 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