US President Donald Trump plans to build a privately-funded triumphal arch, so-called ‘Arc de Trump’, marking the latest effort in his bid to remake Washington DC in his own style.
Modelled on Paris’ iconic Arc de Triomphe, the proposed monument would rise at Memorial Circle, the traffic roundabout near Arlington Memorial Bridge, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026.
Trump shared a rendering by Harrison Design, an Atlanta-based architecture firm, on his Truth Social account.
The sketch depicts a monumental stone arch topped with a golden winged angel and two eagles.
Architect Nicolas Leo Charbonneau, a partner at Harrison Design, also posted a watercolour rendering of the proposal on social media on September 4, writing, “America needs a triumphal arch!”
Reports suggest Trump has reviewed three versions of the design – small, medium and large – and has expressed a preference for the largest, which could stand even taller than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
However, the proposal has drawn criticism from architects and preservationists.
Eric Jenkins, an architecture professor and critic, warned that the monument could “disrupt a symbolic connection between the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington House and Arlington National Cemetery’s most hallowed ground.”
While the project remains in the conceptual stage, the Arc de Trump has already sparked debate over history, symbolism and the reshaping of America’s capital.
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