US President Donald Trump has expressed interest in building a massive triumphal arch at the entrance to Washington, D.C. He said he wants it to be “the biggest one of all.” The proposed structure, informally dubbed the Independence Arch, would mark the United States’ upcoming 250th anniversary and dramatically reshape the capital’s skyline.
Donald Trump expresses interest in building massive arch
Trump is considering a 250-foot-tall monument designed to serve as a ceremonial gateway to Washington, D.C. The structure would resemble Paris’ Arc de Triomphe, but at a much larger scale, with an estimated price tag of $100 million (via The Washington Post).
Plans place the arch on the Arlington, Virginia, side of the Potomac River. At that height, it would dwarf nearby landmarks, including the Lincoln Memorial, which stands 99 feet tall. It would also rise more than three and a half times taller than the White House, which measures about 70 feet. Only the U.S. Capitol, at 288 feet, would remain taller.
Trump first raised the idea last October while addressing potential ballroom donors. “Every time somebody rides over that beautiful bridge to the Lincoln Memorial, they literally say something is supposed be here,” he said at the event. He also presented three scale models of the proposed structure. “This would be small, medium, and large… I happen to think the large by far looks the best,” Trump said. The models reportedly featured marble eagle statues on top and a gold statue of Lady Liberty at the center (via TIME).
A senior White House official told CNN that the concept of the D.C. Triumphal Arc originated directly with Donald Trump. “He came up with the design and has been part of the process every step of the way,” the unnamed source claimed. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump reinforced his stance. “I’d like it to be the biggest one of all. We’re the biggest, most powerful nation.”
