Trump Triumphal Arch
FILE - Memorial Circle, where President Donald Trump has proposed building an arch to commemorate the United States' 250th anniversary, the Arlington Memorial Bridge and the Lincoln Memorial, are seen from the Washington Monument, Aug. 17, 2026, in Washington.
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The Trump administration has announced that it is planning to start excavation work on a memorial arch in Washington over the next two weeks. Critics say the project would disrupt historic sightlines in Washington, D.C. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum wrote on the social media platform X that the arch will be "one of the Great Pieces of American Architecture," befitting the world's most powerful capital. The planned 250-foot-tall memorial arch will stand between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. A lawsuit is challenging the plans for the arch.
President Donald Trump says the massive arch he wants to build between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery would become a “top grade military complex” able to host drones and snipers while storing ammunition. It's one more example of how Trump is insisting that his initiatives to beautify the White House and the city are also serving a defensive purpose. Trump has been calling the new White House ballroom a “military complex” and arguing it is necessary for national security purposes. Trump said in a social media post Sunday about the arch that he was acting at the “strong request” of the military.
