Trump seeks to build a triumphal arch in Washington for nation’s 250th birthday
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US President Donald Trump holding a model of an arch monument during a ballroom dinner at the White House on Oct 15.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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WASHINGTON – If US President Donald Trump gets his wish, a new triumphal arch will rise on a Washington roundabout across from the Lincoln Memorial to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary in 2026.
Mr Trump showed models of the proposed arch at a White House fund-raising dinner
He brought out models of an arched structure with two eagles and a golden, winged angel on top, somewhat resembling the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. He said the angel was Lady Liberty.
The arch would stand on Memorial Circle at the end of Arlington Memorial Bridge on the Virginia side of the Potomac River, which is within the bounds of Washington.
“Every time somebody rides over that beautiful bridge right to the Lincoln Memorial, it’s so beautiful, they literally say, ‘Something is supposed to be here’,” Mr Trump said at the dinner, which was attended by corporate executives and donors for the ballroom.
Mr Trump thanked the donors for their “generous” contributions, and said there might be some money left over that could help finance the arch.
“We’ll use that probably maybe for the arch or something else that will come, but we love to fix up Washington,” he said.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for more information on the arch, including on its funding and when construction would begin and finish.
It was also unclear whether the design was approved by the National Capital Planning Commission, which reviews designs for federal monuments. The commission has been closed because of the ongoing government shutdown.
Mr Trump posted an image of the proposed arch on Oct 11 on social media. The same illustration was shared in September by Mr Nicolas Leo Charbonneau, a Washington-based architect at the firm Harrison Design.
Mr Charbonneau said in the post: “A proposal for a triumphal arch in DC for #America250.”
Triumphal arches have long been erected to celebrate notable figures or significant events, dating back to ancient Romans, who used them to honour emperors or victorious generals, said Associate Professor Jason Montgomery of urban design at the Catholic University of America.
Prof Montgomery said the design, location and decision to erect a triumphal arch to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the US “seem reasonable”, but that it should represent all Americans in this “very polarised moment”.
“Every American who comes to Washington and explores all the monuments should come to this new monument and feel that it’s speaking to their values,” said Prof Montgomery, who is an architect and urban designer based in Washington.
He added: “It would be ironic if those values are not represented in this monument and those values are not carried forward after this monument is built.”
A plan for an arch across from the Lincoln Memorial seen on the Resolute Desk at the White House.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Trump says arch is for him
The President’s plan for the triumphal arch comes as he seeks to bring a more lavish and gilded touch
Mr Trump unveiled plans in July for his US$200 million (S$259 million), 8,400 sq m ballroom off the East Wing, raising concerns from preservation experts over the feasibility of completing such a large-scale project by the end of his term while respecting the building’s historic nature.
Earlier in 2025, he paved over the White House Rose Garden, which sits just outside the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room, in a style that resembled a patio at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
The White House has exerted more control over the design and planning of federal architecture in recent months, eyeing plans for the redevelopment of south-western Washington.
Mr Trump has pursued a goal of “making federal architecture beautiful again”, signing an executive order in August that requires federal buildings in Washington to maintain a classical style of Greco-Roman architecture associated with the marble columns and austere hallways of the Supreme Court and US Capitol.
Prof Montgomery urged the administration to hold a “national conversation” before starting construction of the triumphal arch, noting that the monument would belong to the American people.
“We are the legacy of these 250 years of history,” he said.
Mr Trump suggested he saw it differently.
When asked on Oct 15 who the arch was for, Mr Trump said: “Me.” NYTIMES
