After teasing the idea for months, US President Donald Trump confirmed that plans for a 76‑meter (250‑foot) triumphal arch in Washington, D.C., have been filed with the US Commission of Fine Arts.
Trump hailed the design as “the GREATEST and MOST BEAUTIFUL Triumphal Arch, anywhere in the World.” If built, the arch would be substantially taller than Paris’s Arc de Triomphe (just under 50 meters) and would surpass Mexico City’s Monument to the Revolution (67 meters) and Pyongyang’s Arch of Triumph (60 meters).
According to the submitted plans, the arch would feature a gilded figure resembling Lady Liberty, flanked by two eagles and guarded by four gilded lions. The structure would bear the inscriptions “One Nation Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All” in gold letters. The site is planned across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial.
Project costs remain uncertain. An Axios report in October cited White House insiders estimating about $100 million (roughly €85 million), and private financing is a possibility—similar to funding arrangements for other controversial White House projects.
Trump has said the arch would mark 250 years since the signing of the US Declaration of Independence on July 4. When a reporter asked who the monument was for, he pointed to himself and said “me,” calling the project “fantastic.” He has also argued that Washington is the only major capital without a triumphal arch.
The plans will be reviewed by the US Commission of Fine Arts; in October, Trump dismissed the agency’s board members and appointed his own allies. Separately, three Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian have filed a legal challenge, arguing the arch would require Congressional approval.
Edited by: Karl Sexton