In April 2026, Judge Chutkan issued a consent agreement in the Lemon versus Trump case requiring 14 days' notice before proceeding with construction.
Posted by The Lawfare Podcast, Checked
- Sources
- 6 support1 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 92%
The Lawfare PodcastSep 14, 2026
The sources support the claim: in April 2026 Judge Chutkan entered a consent order under which the government agreed to give 14 days' notice before starting construction on the Trump arch. The post's 'last April' refers to April 2026, and the judge's name spelling in the post is a minor variant.
What was said
… I can't do the math, but whatever, there was a plan to do something like this, and so that's the reference there. But anyway, it sounded like he was saying a big development was happening, and of course, last April, Judge Chutkin, in the Lemon versus Trump case—that's the triumphal arch case there had been a consent agreement that they wouldn't go forward with this thing without 14 days' notice, and so this seemed like the 14 days' notice, but in a tweet rather than in a court proceeding. So people ran to court, plaintiffs seeking a TRO. …
The Lawfare Podcast · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. Reuters reports that the government agreed in April to provide 14 days' notice before starting construction, as part of a consent order entered by Judge Chutkan.[1][2]
Supports. The court docket shows a Consent Order signed by Judge Tanya S. Chutkan on April 8, 2026, in Lemmon v. Trump (1:26-cv-00544).[3][4]
Supports. Public Citizen, the plaintiffs' counsel, says the government committed to at least fourteen days' notice before starting construction following the hearing.[5]
Supports. ABC News reports that in April Chutkan ordered the administration to provide the court with 14 days' notice before any construction on the arch can begin.[6]
Context. Chutkan's later September 4 order added a 48-hour notice requirement for other site activity and allowed archaeological testing, but did not change the April 14-day notice requirement.[1][7]
Sources
7 sources: 1 fact-checker, 6 not rated
- 1Judge reinforces order barring immediate work on Trump ...reuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports, context
- 2Judge reinforces order barring immediate work on Trump arch in Washingtonspokesman.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 3Case: Lemmon v. Trump - Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouseclearinghouse.net · not rated · cited for: supports
- 4LEMMON v. TRUMP, 1:26-cv-00544 – CourtListener.comcourtlistener.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 5Lemmon v. Trump - Public Citizencitizen.org · not rated · cited for: supports
- 6Vietnam vets ask judge to block excavation work on Trump's 'triumphal arch'abcnews.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 7Judge Sets Notice Rules as Trump Arch Site Testing Nears - ENRenr.com · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
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