US EditionCommission of Fine Arts approves Trump Triumphal Arch to move forward
The panel’s preliminary approval moves the 250-foot arch forward despite 1,000 public comments and a lawsuit from Vietnam War veterans.
- On Thursday, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts unanimously approved the concept design for President Donald Trump's proposed 250-foot Triumphal Arch at Memorial Circle, clearing a major bureaucratic hurdle despite nearly 1,000 opposing public comments.
- Trump announced plans in October 2025 to commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary; the administration scaled the design to 250 feet to surpass the 164-foot Arc de Triomphe in Paris, according to officials.
- Commission Secretary Thomas Luebke reported that nearly 1,000 public comments were '100% against the project,' while Vietnam War veterans filed a lawsuit arguing the arch would obstruct sightlines between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial.
- Vice Chair James McCrery II suggested removing the golden winged statue and lions, noting they were 'not a beast natural to the North American continent,' though the commission voted without opposition to continue design review.
- The project faces further reviews under the Commemorative Works Act of 1986 and potential congressional authorization requirements, leaving construction on the National Park Service-managed Columbia Island uncertain.
132 Articles
132 Articles
How Trump's Giant Arch Would Compare to Others Across the World
The federal Commission of Fine Arts on Thursday preliminarily approved plans for a hulking 250-foot “triumphal arch” to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, one of several construction projects President Donald Trump has conjured up in an effort to leave his aesthetic mark on Washington. Despite the preliminary approval, the panel’s vice chair suggested major changes, including the removal of a winged statue on top of the arch that makes up the f…
Donald Trump wants to build a monumental triumphal arch in Washington – bigger than any other. From the Arch of Titus in Rome to Napoleon's Arc de Triomphe in Paris and Kim Il Sung's North Korean version, the building form has always served as architectural propaganda.
Trump is driving Washington's reconstruction forward – his planned triumphal arch is met with massive criticism, but could still come.
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