The government planned to perform four archaeological excavation pits, each eight feet by 16 feet, at the Memorial Circle site.
Posted by The Lawfare Podcast, Checked
- Sources
- 6 support2 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 80%
The Lawfare PodcastSep 14, 2026
The sources support the claim: a sworn declaration from NPS regional director Jennifer Nersesian, as reported by ENR and other outlets, describes four test pits at Memorial Circle, each about 8 by 16 feet, as of September 2026. The claim dropped the 'unspecified depth' detail from the post, which is a faithful paraphrase.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… So that's all we're doing, and and and and it's actually a little more than you might think. It's like they're they plan to do four pits, each one eight feet by 16 feet and of unspecified depth, so it's a lot of excavation. But anyway, so Judge Chutkin, not wanting to take any chance, said issued a quick order before anyone even fully responded and said, Okay, you need to give the court 48 hours' notice before you do more than this preliminary …
The Lawfare Podcast · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. ENR reports that NPS Regional Director Jennifer Nersesian declared in a sworn filing that crews would mechanically excavate four test pits, each about 8 ft by 16 ft, at the arch footings, plaza, and sewer pump station.[2]
Supports. Another report on the same declaration states the government planned to dig four test pits, each about 8 feet by 16 feet, and the court filing describes the work as four mechanically excavated test pits under archaeological observation.[3][4]
Supports. Reports on the government's court filing say the four test pits would be dug no earlier than September 21 with site restoration targeted for October 31, consistent with a planned excavation at Memorial Circle.[5][6][7]
Context. The NPS document from October 24 describes nine geoarchaeological borings and the October 18 environmental assessment says no further archaeological investigation is warranted; both postdate the claim and reflect later plans, not the September 14 state of affairs.[1][8]
Sources
8 sources: 1 primary, 7 not rated
- 1[PDF] Triumphal Arch Revised Environmental Assessmentncpc.gov · primary source · cited for: context
- 2Judge Sets Notice Rules as Trump Arch Site Testing Nears - ENRenr.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 3A Judge Orders 48 Hours' Notice Before Work on Trump's Arch, and the Federal Preservation Review Ends Without Agreementthetrumptracker.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 4UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURTstorage.courtlistener.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 5When will construction start on Trump's DC arch? See latest ...palmbeachpost.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 6Judge reinforces order halting immediate work on Trump's 250-foot archuk.news.yahoo.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 7Judge Requires Notice Before Arlington Memorial Circle Workdeeparrival.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 8National Park Servicecourtlistener.com · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
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