Trump said in May that the project did not require congressional intervention, stating that funding could partially come from private donations previously raised for a White House ballroom project.
However, recent findings indicate that public funds will be utilized for both projects.
A group of veterans and a historian have filed a federal lawsuit to block construction over sightline concerns.
Charles Birnbaum, a landscape architect and founder of The Cultural Landscape Foundation, criticized the project's rapid acceleration, noting that it avoided the public review processes that have governed Washington's civic architecture for over a century.
The Commission of Fine Arts, led by Trump appointee Rodney Mims Cook, Jr., approved the concept design in April 2026 following a presentation where commissioners urged swift movement on the project.
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The NCPC's preliminary review marks the next step in the approval process, with final project designs requiring separate, subsequent approval before construction can begin.
