Donald Trump wants to mark the 250th anniversary of US independence with a massive triumphal arch – the United States Triumphal Arch. The structure is to be 76.2 metres high and adorned with gilded decorations. However, only ground surveys have been scheduled for this month, and the start of actual construction still depends on administrative procedures and a legal dispute.
An arch between national memorial sites
The United States Triumphal Arch is to be erected on Memorial Circle on Columbia Island, at the western end of the Arlington Memorial Bridge in Washington. This is a particularly sensitive location: on the other side of the Potomac stands the Lincoln Memorial, and the nearby road leads to Arlington National Cemetery. Trump presented his idea in October 2025. The architect Nicolas Leo Charbonneau is associated with the project. In the media, the project quickly earned the nickname ‘Arc de Trump’, an ironic reference to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Light-coloured granite and gilded eagles on the United States Triumphal Arch
The architecture of the United States Triumphal Arch draws on Roman triumphal arches and their later interpretations. The massive piers, semicircular archway and wide band of inscriptions are reminiscent, above all, of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The reinforced concrete structure will be clad in granite, topped by gilded eagles and a winged female figure holding a torch, symbolising Liberty. The slogans ‘One Nation Under God’ and ‘Liberty and Justice for All’ have been placed on the façades. Earlier renderings also featured lions and an elaborate platform at the base, which were removed following the committee’s comments.
250 feet for 250 years
The height of the structure, including the sculptures, is to be 250 feet, or 76.2 metres. Each foot corresponds to one year of American independence. The Washington arch would therefore be roughly half as high again as its Parisian prototype. The interior is designed to have five levels, including a gallery, technical mezzanines and an observation deck at a height of approximately 49 metres. Documentation from the National Park Service in June indicated a three-year construction period and work lasting up to 20 hours a day. A final cost estimate has not yet been published, but according to statements from the administration, funding is to come from both public and private sources.
Trump Arch under fire
On 21 May 2026, the Commission of Fine Arts approved the architectural design, leaving part of the decoration to be assessed at a later stage. On 9 July, the NCPC approved the preliminary documentation, requesting further information regarding, amongst other things, the height of the structure and the impact of the entire project on traffic. Three Vietnam War veterans and architectural historian Calder Loth have taken legal action against the project. They question whether it can go ahead without the necessary approvals. Meanwhile, four exploratory excavations are due to begin on 21 September – this stage is intended to identify underground remains dating back centuries and does not yet signify the actual start of construction.
A patriotic symbol or a monument to ambition?
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, an American non-profit organisation dedicated to the protection of historic monuments and heritage, has warned against the significant impact of the ‘Arc de Trump’. According to the NTHP, the enormous arch will overshadow the Lincoln Memorial and disrupt the historic visual axis between it and Arlington National Cemetery, which was established in the early decades of the 20th century. The organisation states that NPS documentation indicates the project will have a negative impact on 37 historic sites and areas. Aesthetics are also a cause for concern: the accumulation of gilded figures, patriotic slogans and oversized forms contributes to the widely held view that the project is an example of pompous historicism verging on kitsch. When viewed alongside the huge ballroom currently under construction next to the White House, the arch can be interpreted as an expression of Trump’s architectural megalomania. This raises the question once again: does this grand scale serve to commemorate national history, or is it primarily intended to immortalise the name of the incumbent president?
Source: ncpc.gov, savingplaces.org, apnews.com
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