President Donald Trump has said his administration is building a “triumphal” arch in Washington D.C.
Speaking during a reception at the White House on Sunday, Trump said he had tasked his former speechwriter and domestic policy council director Vince Haley with overseeing the “unbelievable” arch near the Lincoln Memorial.
“We have a policy thing that’s going to be unbelievable happening,” he said, pronouncing arch the French way. “I put Vince in charge of the triumphal arch. We’re building an arc like the Arc de Triomphe, and we’re building it by the Arlington bridge, the Arlington cemetery opposite the Lincoln Memorial.”
The project was first reported on in October when an Agence France-Presse news agency photo in the White House showed a map depicting a new arch on the Potomac River. Details about the arch are scant, but some on social media, critics mostly, have dubbed the project the “Arc de Trump.”
Newsweek reached out to the White House by email to comment on this article outside of normal business hours.
Why It Matters
Trump has also been renovating the White House. Some supporters have lauded the move and noting that other presidents have also altered the property, while others have raised concerns that the changes are unnecessary and harm a historical landmark.
Changes to D.C. will likely serve to cement Trump’s legacy on the American capital. The project may have other consequences such as job creation but could also spark criticism from those who say Trump overextends his presidential powers.
What To Know
Trump said Washington D.C. was “the only city in the world that’s of great importance that doesn’t have a triumphal arch.”
“It is something that is so special,” Trump said about the D.C. arch. “It will be like the one in Paris but to be honest with you it blows it away.” The “one in Paris” is the Arc de Triomphe which was constructed in the 19th century to honor those who died in the French revolutionary and Napoleonic wars.
“We’re going to have something that the likes of which has never been done before,” Trump said.
In October, Trump posted an illustration of an arch designed by Harrison Design architect Nicolas Leo Charbonneau on his social media platform Truth Social though it is not known if this architect is designing the arch.
He also displayed images and models of a potential structure on a desk in the White House.
What People Are Saying
Political cartoonist Nick Anderson posted an image of an arch made of files associated with Jeffrey Epstein in November and wrote: “Arc de Trump.”
Senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts posted on X on December 8: “Thanks to Republicans’ chaotic policies: Small businesses have let 120,000 employees go. Grocery and utility prices are up. The cost of health care is skyrocketing. But instead of helping struggling families, Trump is looking into building a giant ‘Arc de Trump.'”
Trump told donors in October: “Every time somebody rides over that beautiful bridge to the Lincoln Memorial, they literally say something is supposed be here. We have versions of it… This is a mock-up.”
What Happens Next
Trump didn’t offer a timeline or further details about the construction of the arch.
