The Trump administration released last Friday a new 12-page plan of the US president’s version of his very own Arc de Triomphe in Washington, DC, first announced last October.
A mock-up submitted to the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) by Harrison Design shows the “Arc de Trump” rising to 250 feet (76 metres) – a nod to the US’s 250th anniversary – and being topped by a 60-foot (18-metre) golden, winged Lady Liberty. She is flanked by two 24-foot (7-metre) eagles and guarded by four lions. The inscriptions “One Nation Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All” would be carved across opposite sides of the monument.
If approved, the monument, which Trump intends to resemble its French counterpart, would tower over both the US Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial. However, its scale has drawn strong opposition, including a lawsuit from a group of Vietnam War veterans, who argue that it would obstruct long-established sightlines and “block historically significant reciprocal views”. This sight-line axis was originally designed to represent the post-Civil War reconciliation of North and South.
The Commission of Fine Arts is scheduled to review the latest plans on 16 April. The panel is responsible for approving major federal design projects in the capital and has come under scrutiny after Trump dismissed all six previous commissioners last year and replaced them with appointees who are perceived to be more aligned with his administration.
The Trump administration has described the arch as “one of the most iconic landmarks, not only in Washington, DC, but throughout the world”.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said that the proposed location near the foot of the Arlington Memorial Bridge, at Memorial Circle on Columbia Island, would serve as a “visual reminder of the noble sacrifices made by so many American heroes throughout our 250-year history, enabling us to enjoy our freedoms today”.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 10, 2026
This idea echoes Trump’s remarks last year that “every time somebody rides over that beautiful bridge to the Lincoln Memorial, they say that something should be there”.
On social media, Trump described the project as “the GREATEST and MOST BEAUTIFUL Triumphal Arch, anywhere in the World”, adding that it would be “a wonderful addition to the Washington DC area for all Americans to enjoy for many decades to come”.
Online reactions have been equally sharp. Some users have dismissed the project outright, calling it “sickening”, while others have criticised the timing, pointing to the financial and human costs of ongoing conflicts, including tensions with Iran, as well as broader concerns over inflation and public spending.
Americans can't afford groceries, rent, medication, childcare, clothing…. trump wants to waste money on a gawdy tribute to himself.
— JEANNIE (@WorldPeace33334) April 10, 2026
Costs have not yet been disclosed and are “still being calculated”. Early funding plans include $2 million from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), plus up to $13 million in matching contributions – a far cry from Trump’s earlier assertion that the project would be entirely privately funded and that any leftover White House ballroom funds would be redirected to the arch.
The arch forms only one part of a broader set of monumental ambitions. A controversial White House ballroom, which was approved by federal bodies before being halted by a judge following legal challenges, remains in limbo. Trump has also revived plans for a National Garden of American Heroes – another large-scale project aimed at reshaping the capital’s commemorative landscape.
