Foto AP Photo/Jon Elswick
The idea of the monument was first voiced last December during a Christmas reception at the White House, ARTnews writes. At that time, Trump said that the arch, inspired by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, should become a symbol of the 250th anniversary of the United States and one of the key projects of his domestic agenda.
The structure, about 76 meters high, is planned to be installed on Memorial Circle in Arlington, across from the national cemetery where American military and statesmen are buried. Project architect Nicolas Leo Charbonneau, who heads Harrison Design’s Sacred Architecture Studio, called the monument concept “a celebration of American greatness, freedom and future generations.” He said the arch should symbolize the legacy of the Founding Fathers and “God’s providence.”
The project almost immediately drew sharp public reaction. Representatives of the National Trust for Historic Preservation warned that the large-scale structure could disrupt the memorial character of the Arlington area. Veterans’ organizations also opposed the initiative, saying the monument risked turning a place of national memory into a political symbol.
The decorative elements of the project – the golden eagles and winged angel figure adorning the arch – drew separate criticism. Previously, the commission proposed to abandon part of the decoration in order to reduce the visual scale of the structure, but in the final version these elements were retained.
Despite the protests, the Fine Arts Commission supported the project by a majority vote. Additional attention to the decision was drawn by the fact that all seven current members of the commission were appointed by Trump in January 2026. The previous panel, formed under former President Joe Biden, was completely dissolved in the fall of 2025 amid consideration of other controversial White House initiatives, including the new ballroom project.
Critics are already calling the future arch one of the most politicized architectural projects in recent years in Washington.
