Developer in chief Donald Trump envisions new arch in Washington, DC

By Betsy Klein, CNN

(CNN) — President Donald Trump is involved in planning for a major new monument in Washington, DC: a triumphal arch to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary, marking his latest effort to impose his style and tastes on the nation’s capital.

The Trump administration, said sources familiar with the matter who were granted anonymity to describe ongoing deliberations, is considering building a permanent arch as part of broader America250 celebrations honoring the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence next July.

A senior White House official told CNN the arch was Trump’s idea.

“He came up with the design and has been part of the process every step of the way,” the official said.

Trump remains deeply attuned to his background as a real estate developer and has taken major steps since returning to office to apply his aesthetic vision to Washington, DC: paving over the White House Rose Garden and decorating it to mirror his Mar-a-Lago patio; adorning the Oval Office, Cabinet Room, and West Colonnade with gilded features; and launching a major ballroom expansion.

Last week, AFP photographer Jim Watson captured images of a pair of three-dimensional models of the proposed arch atop Trump’s desk in the Oval Office as the president met with his Finnish counterpart, President Alexander Stubb. Canadian Minister of Energy Tim Hodgson also posted a photo of Trump showcasing one of the models to a group of Canadian officials. The models were on the president’s desk again on Wednesday as he hosted an event on crime statistics.

The models match a design and watercolor rendering from the firm Harrison Design. Trump recently posted the watercolor on social media, offering an implicit endorsement of the plans.

The White House, Harrison Design and America250 did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.

The watercolor of the proposed stone arch features columns, eagles, wreaths, and a gilded, winged figure. It is similar to France’s Arc de Triomphe. Trump memorably visited Paris in 2017, where he delightedly observed a Bastille Day parade from a viewing stand near the iconic arch – and soon called on his aides to deliver his own military parade, which came to fruition eight years later.

The design is in progress and timing for construction of the arch is to be determined, the senior White House official said.

The proposed monument would be situated near the Virginia side of the Arlington Memorial Bridge – atop a grassy traffic circle directly between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial, according to architect Nicolas Leo Charbonneau, a partner at Harrison Design.

“A proposal for a triumphal arch in DC for #America250, in the traffic circle in front of Arlington National Cemetery. America needs a triumphal arch!” Charbonneau posted on social media alongside a watercolor rendering of the arch by artist Christopher Draper.

It was not immediately clear how the arch would be paid for.

“Washington, DC, is the only major Western capital that lacks an arch. It’s a time-honored tradition for celebrating events and people and ideas – and also for acting as gateways to cities,” a source familiar with the matter said.

Catesby Leigh, a co-founder of the National Civil Art Society, has made multiple appeals for a triumphal arch to commemorate the country’s anniversary. He suggested in a December 2024 piece for urban policy magazine City Journal that any initial structure should be temporary – but could be eventually made permanent.

“There isn’t enough time to build a permanent arch for the 250th. But temporary arches have a long history in this country. And there’s also a noteworthy precedent for a temporary arch being rebuilt in permanent form after winning public acclaim: the Washington Arch in Manhattan, which celebrated the centennial of George Washington’s first inauguration,” Leigh wrote.

The plans come months after the president signed an executive order mandating that all federal buildings embrace classical architecture, noting that any designs that depart from the “preferred style,” including Brutalist-style buildings, must be run directly by the president.

While the new arch won’t be subject to those restrictions, the source familiar with the matter said that the design “follows the spirit of the executive order.”

On Wednesday, as reporters departed an Oval Office event, Trump was asked about the model on his desk.

“It’s an Arc, take a look,” he said, according to pool reports.

Asked who the arch was for, the president pointed at himself: “Me.”

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