President Donald Trump is considering a new triumphal arch as a ceremonial gateway to Washington, D.C., saying he wants it to be “the biggest one of all.”
The proposed Independence Arch — sometimes nicknamed the “Arc de Trump” — could carry a price tag of up to $100 million and would be designed to resemble Paris’s Arc de Triomphe, but on a much larger scale.
According to a report by The Washington Post, Trump is interested in building the arch 250 feet tall to coincide with the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary.
If built at that height, the structure would dramatically reshape the skyline around the capital. Plans call for it to sit on the Arlington, Virginia, side of the Potomac River, where it would tower over nearby landmarks. For comparison, the Lincoln Memorial stands 99 feet tall, and the White House is about 70 feet tall. The U.S. Capitol rises higher at 288 feet.
Trump first raised the concept publicly during remarks to potential ballroom donors last October, arguing the site near the Lincoln Memorial feels incomplete.
“Every time somebody rides over that beautiful bridge to the Lincoln Memorial, they literally say something is supposed be here,” he told the group.
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At that event, Trump displayed three concept models, each at a different scale.
“This would be small, medium, and large… I happen to think the large by far looks the best,” Trump said, according to Time.
The models included marble eagle statues at the top and a gold statue of Lady Liberty positioned in the center.
Citing a senior White House official, CNN reported that the arch originated with Trump.
“He came up with the design and has been part of the process every step of the way,” the unnamed source told the outlet.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Feb. 1, Trump, 79, repeated his preference for a supersized monument.
“I’d like it to be the biggest one of all,” he said, adding, “We’re the biggest, most powerful nation,” according to the reports.
Still, the proposal could face scrutiny from the Federal Aviation Association, given the location. The planned site is described as a roundabout just across the Potomac from the western end of the National Mall — the stretch running from the Lincoln Memorial to the U.S. Capitol. Flights departing Reagan National Airport already adjust their routes away from the National Mall and the Pentagon due to restrictions, and many follow the Potomac at lower altitudes.
The administration has already pursued multiple major changes in Washington since Trump returned to office. He has secured funding for a 90,000-square-foot ballroom in place of the former East Wing footprint, paved over the Rose Garden lawn, and pushed significant design revisions to the interior and exterior of the Executive Mansion.
On Feb. 1, he also announced plans to temporarily close the Kennedy Center — founded in 1964 as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy — for what he described as a “complete rebuilding,” while emphasizing he does not intend to fully demolish the building during renovations.
