The Trump administration has unveiled plans for a 250-foot Triumphal Arch to be built along the Potomac River near the Arlington Memorial Bridge, a project already drawing controversy over its scale, funding, and symbolism.
Renderings show the arch situated in a traffic circle on the Virginia side of the river, positioned between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. A golden-winged Lady Liberty would sit atop the structure, flanked by two eagles.
The phrases “One Nation Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All” would be etched on opposite sides, while four statues of lions would surround the base. Harrison Design, an architecture firm with offices in Washington, produced the drawings.
Trump announces presentation of the Triumphal Arch
President Trump on Friday, April 10, hailed the proposal in a statement on Truth Social.
“I am pleased to announce that today my administration officially filed the presentation and plans to the highly respected Commission of Fine Arts for what will be the greatest and most beautiful Triumphal Arch, anywhere in the World. This will be a wonderful addition to the Washington D.C. area for all Americans to enjoy for many decades to come!”
The Commission of Fine Arts is scheduled to review the designs next week, according to CBS News.
Also Read: Report Reveals Melania Trump Granted Use of Kristi Noem’s $70 Million Jet
Trump previously displayed models of the arch at a White House fundraising dinner in October, where he described the angel atop the models as Lady Liberty.
“Small, medium, and large — whichever one, they look good,” Trump said at the time. “I happen to think the larger one looks, by far, the best.”
The administration has also announced plans for a National Garden of American Heroes featuring 250 statues, The New York Times reported.
The arch is expected to be funded through a combination of public and private sources, with taxpayers covering part of the costs. The administration has not disclosed a final budget, but critics have already raised concerns about spending priorities.
The proposal comes as the White House is engaged in a legal battle over Trump’s over $200 million East Wing ballroom project.
A federal judge halted construction in March, ruling that the administration lacked congressional approval. The White House has appealed, arguing the ballroom is vital for national security and presidential safety.
Court filings describe missile-resistant steel columns, drone-proof roofing, and underground bomb shelters as part of the project. Preservation groups, however, call the ballroom a “vanity project” and say the administration’s security claims are exaggerated.
Also Read: “The White House Was Infested” Trump Administration’s Claim in $400M Ballroom Legal Fight
The overlap between the ballroom dispute and the arch proposal has fueled criticism that taxpayer money is being diverted to monumental projects tied to Trump’s personal vision for Washington.
Lawsuit by veterans
The Triumphal Arch has already been challenged in court. A group of Vietnam War veterans and a retired architectural historian filed a federal lawsuit in February to block construction, arguing the monument’s height and placement would disrupt the symbolic sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House. That view was designed to symbolize national unity after the Civil War.
The plaintiffs also warned that the arch could pose hazards to air travel at nearby Reagan National Airport. NPR reported that the group described the project as a “vanity project” inconsistent with the city’s historic landscape.
Trump has long expressed frustration that Washington lacks a triumphal arch comparable to Paris’s Arc de Triomphe. “This one is going to blow them all away,” he said in December. “The one that people know mostly is the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France. And we’re going to top it by I think a lot.”
The proposed monument has already earned the nickname “Arc de Trump” among critics and supporters alike.
