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United States Triumphal Arch

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United States Triumphal Arch[1]
Map
Interactive map of United States Triumphal Arch[1]
LocationWashington, D.C., United States
Coordinates38°53′8″N 77°3′36″W / 38.88556°N 77.06000°W / 38.88556; -77.06000
TypeTriumphal arch
Height250 ft (76 m)
Dedicated to250th anniversary of American independence

The United States Triumphal Arch[1] or Independence Arch is a triumphal arch proposed by Donald Trump in 2025 that would be located on Columbia Island in Washington, D.C., United States.[2] The 250-foot-tall (76 m) arch would celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence.

The site is Memorial Circle, a traffic circle on Memorial Drive between the end of the Arlington Memorial Bridge and Arlington National Cemetery. It is directly across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial at the west end of the National Mall.[3][4] Surveying work started in mid-May 2026 and excavation work is scheduled to begin in September 2026. A lawsuit was filed in February 2026 to halt construction before the required approval from Congress and government agencies.

Memorial Circle in the foreground looking east over the Arlington Memorial Bridge

The arch has been referred to by some media as the "Arc de Trump" (a play on "Arc de Triomphe").[2][4][5][6]

Concept

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In an April 2025 article titled "Washington Needs an Arch", in the conservative publication The American Mind, art critic Catesby Leigh wrote about the visual effect that an arch would have on the axis of monuments on the National Mall. Leigh noted that Washington D.C. is the "only major Western capital without a monumental arch".[7]

In an October 10, 2025, Washington Post article titled "Trump eyes a triumphal arch to mark America's 250th anniversary", Duncan G. Stroik, an architectural professor at the University of Notre Dame and former appointee to the United States Commission of Fine Arts, said that Memorial Circle was "underutilized" and said he "would want it to be a monument that is architecturally sophisticated, but also something that speaks to everyone."[3]

Development

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One of the scale models of the proposed arch in the Oval Office, Tuesday, October 7, 2025

On October 15, 2025, Trump showed reporters in the Oval Office a model sitting on his desk of a proposed arch that he wished to build. CBS reporter Ed O'Keefe asked him: "Who is it for?" Trump replied: "Me."[8] He continued, "It's going to be beautiful." O'Keefe asked if it would be called "The Arc de Trump."[3][2][9] The New Yorker later wrote that there is "as always with Trump, a great deal of defiance and sheer Rodney Dangerfield-style obnoxiousness implicit in the plan. It is an act of mischief as much as of monument-making."[10]

Later that evening, guests were shown three differently scaled models of the arch at a dinner in the White House's East Room for donors to the ballroom expansion.[11] The largest version would reportedly dwarf the iconic structures closest to it, including the Lincoln Memorial.[8]

The large arch, which Anastasia Tsioulcas, writing for NPR, said was evocative of the neoclassical style favored by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, would be surmounted by two eagles and a golden winged figure variously described as an angel or a suggestion of Victory.[8] Trump said it represented Lady Liberty.[12]

The arch would celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States, and Trump said that construction of the arch would be completed in time for the anniversary. He said that it was "fully financed", and that some of the funds left over from the ballroom project would be used to fund the arch.[4]

On December 16, 2025, Trump announced that Vince Haley was to be in charge of the project.[13] On December 31, 2025, Trump said construction of the arch would start within two months.[14] Nicolas Leo Charbonneau has been retained as the architect for the project.[15]

On January 23, 2026, Trump presented another design of the Independence Arch, measuring 250 feet (75 meters), one foot for every year of the independence of the United States. This would be taller than the Arc de Triomphe, which measures 164 feet (50 meters),[16] and almost half as tall as the Washington Monument, at 555 feet (169 meters).

After Trump opted for the largest design presented to him, some architects who were initially supportive of an arch (including Leigh) expressed their opposition to an arch of such size at the proposed location.[15]

On February 19, 2026, the advocacy group Public Citizen filed a lawsuit on behalf of three Vietnam War veterans to stop the project, arguing it had not received proper approval from Congress or appropriate independent government agencies.[17] They were concerned about disrupting the sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and the Arlington House, a view that represents the national unity that came after the Civil War.[18] The impact on the solemnity of Arlington National Cemetery due to the proximity has also raised concerns. The observation deck in the arch would have tourists observing funerals and loom over veterans visiting the graves of their fallen comrades.[19]

By using an already existing AECOM contract, press research indicated the administration bypassed a public bidding process and geotechnical and site survey work for the Triumphal Arch started in mid-May 2026.[20][21][22] The administration, stating that Congress had approved a similar project a century earlier that was never built, said this should cover the arch and thus it would not seek congressional approval.[23] That original plan, ratified in 1925, provided for a pair of 166-foot-tall (51 m) columns.[21]

Scaled-down model at the Great American State Fair in June 2026

On May 21, 2026, the Commission of Fine Arts approved a revised design that eliminated an eight-foot-tall base (2.4 m) and four golden lions, which the Commission had pointed out were "not native to the United States".[20] The arch itself was to remain 250 feet (76 m) tall.[20]

On June 24, 2026, Trump opened the Great American State Fair on the National Mall as part of the 250th anniversary celebrations, where a scaled-down model of the arch was displayed.[24]

Size comparison between the Washington Monument (555 ft/169.2 m), the United States Triumphal Arch (250 ft/76.2 m) and the White House (70 ft/21.4 m)

By law, the National Park Service had to assess the proposal. On August 3, it identified 37 sites that the proposed arch would negatively impact, mostly by obstructing their views.[25]

On September 3, 2026, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced that initial excavation work for the arch would begin within two weeks.[26] He called it the "Great Triumphal Arch and Military Observation Deck" in his social media post.[27] Later in September, Trump announced he was updating construction plans at the "strong request" of the military for "national security purposes", and said that the arch would double as a "military complex" utilizing drones, snipers and storage for ammunition.[28] The Washington Post called the new proposal part of an "evolving legal strategy" to justify and defend the project.[29] This may also impact public access due to the security requirements for the storage of ammunition under federal law.[23]

Selected triumphal arches size comparison

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 3 "Trump's triumphal arch gets official name". France 24. Agence France-Presse. April 16, 2026. Archived from the original on May 27, 2026. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 Watson, Kathryn (October 16, 2025). "Arc de Trump? President shows off model of Independence Arch, says "it's going to be really beautiful"". CBS News. Archived from the original on October 16, 2025. Retrieved October 22, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 Diamond, Dan (October 10, 2025). "Trump eyes a triumphal arch to mark America's 250th anniversary". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. ProQuest 3259928970.
  4. 1 2 3 Saad, Nardine (October 16, 2025). "What we know about White House plans for an 'Arc de Trump'". BBC News. Archived from the original on October 16, 2025. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  5. ↑ Ramaswamy, Swapna Venugopal (October 16, 2025). "Arc de Trump? President touts a new real estate project. No, not the ballroom". USA Today. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
  6. ↑ Popat, Shrai (April 10, 2026). "Trump administration releases new renderings of so-called 'Arc de Trump'". The Guardian. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
  7. ↑ Leigh, Catesby (April 2, 2025). "Washington Needs an Arch". The American Mind. Archived from the original on April 2, 2025. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 Tsioulcas, Anastasia (October 16, 2025). "President Trump envisions D.C. arch to mark 250th anniversary of U.S." NPR. Archived from the original on October 16, 2025. Retrieved October 17, 2025. Journalists leaving an Oval Office event Wednesday asked the president who the proposed arch would be built for. He replied: 'Me.'
  9. ↑ Sutherland, Callum (October 16, 2025). "The 'Arc de Trump': President Shows Off Plans For His Latest Grandiose D.C. Construction Project". Time. Archived from the original on October 18, 2025. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  10. ↑ Gopnik, Adam (April 21, 2026). "Donald Trump's Triumphal Arch and the Architecture of Autocracy". The New Yorker. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
  11. ↑ Kanno-Youngs, Zolan (October 16, 2025). "Trump Hosts Dinner for Wealthy Donors to White House Ballroom". The New York Times. ProQuest 3261163873. Archived from the original on October 16, 2025.
  12. ↑ Kavi, Aishvarya (October 21, 2025). "What to Know About Trump's Plan for a Triumphal Arch". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 21, 2025. Mr. Trump said she was Lady Liberty, though the statue on Liberty Island in New York Harbor does not have wings. The gold figure more closely resembled depictions of the Roman goddess of victory.
  13. ↑ Mackey, Robert (December 14, 2025). "Trump says building DC triumphal arch is domestic policy chief's 'primary thing'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 15, 2025.
  14. ↑ Cai, Sophia (December 31, 2025). "Trump says construction of the 'Triumphal Arch' to begin in '2 months'". Politico. Archived from the original on January 2, 2026. Retrieved January 4, 2026.
  15. 1 2 Diamond, Dan; Dormido, Hannah; Meko, Tim (January 31, 2026). "Trump wants to build a 250-foot-tall arch, dwarfing the Lincoln Memorial". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. ProQuest 3299127191. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  16. ↑ Slessor, Catherine (February 6, 2026). "Cage fights at the White House! A gigantic arch! Trump's gaudy plans for America's 250th anniversary". The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 8, 2026. Retrieved February 7, 2026.
  17. ↑ Wendler, Jacob (February 19, 2026). "Vietnam War veterans sue to block construction of Trump's triumphal arch". Politico. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  18. ↑ Johnston, Windsor (February 21, 2026). "Vietnam Veterans sue to block proposed 'Independence Arch' near Arlington National Cemetery". NPR. Archived from the original on February 21, 2026.
  19. ↑ Badger, Emily (August 3, 2026). "Park Service Finds Trump's Arch Could Detract From Dozens of Historic Places". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  20. 1 2 3 Serfaty, Sunlen (May 21, 2026). "Trump's arch moves ahead — but monument loses eight feet and four lions". CNN. ProQuest 3341871691. Archived from the original on May 21, 2026. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
  21. 1 2 Diamond, Dan (May 20, 2026). "Trump officials say they can build 250-foot arch without Congress's approval". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. ProQuest 3343810278. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  22. ↑ Blaskey, Sarah; O'Connell, Jonathan (May 14, 2026). "White House planned to start Triumphal Arch work under unrelated contract". The Washington Post. ProQuest 3341871691. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
  23. 1 2 Broadwater, Luke; Ismay, John; Badger, Emily; Lee, Junho (September 23, 2026). "Trump Cites National Security as He Faces Pushback on Press Ban, D.C. Arch and More". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  24. ↑ Marquez, Alexandra (June 28, 2026). "Trump's Great American State Fair attendees say they haven't noticed politics overshadowing the celebration". NBC News. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
  25. ↑ Grenoble, Ryan (August 3, 2026). "Trump's Massive Arch Would Adversely Affect 37 Other Historic Sites, NPS Finds". HuffPost. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  26. ↑ Bedayn, Jesse (September 3, 2026). "Excavation work on Trump's arch in Washington to begin over next 2 weeks, administration says". AP News.
  27. ↑ "Excavation work to build Trump's triumphal arch to begin over next 2 weeks, Interior secretary says". ABC7 Chicago. September 3, 2026.
  28. ↑ Goodwin, Grace Eliza (September 20, 2026). "Trump says triumphal arch will be military complex with drones and snipers". BBC. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
  29. ↑ Diamond, Dan; Walsh, Aoife (September 20, 2026). "Trump says planned 250-foot arch will be 'military complex' for drones, snipers". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
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