Trump’s Proposed Triumphal Arch Faces Federal Review and Growing Opposition

President Donald Trump has advanced a 250-foot (76-meter) triumphal arch to be built on Memorial Circle, the traffic circle on the Virginia side of the Arlington Memorial Bridge. The design includes a public observation deck and three gilded statues. The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts approved the design in May, and the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) is meeting to consider the preliminary site and building plans. Staff of the NCPC recommend that the commission “request the applicant revise the project design to comply with the Height of Buildings Act” and seek additional information on traffic, the granite exterior, and other aspects before the Interior Department’s National Park Service returns for final approval.

UsNews and World ReportTrump's plan for a triumphal arch in the nation's capital is getting another reviewNPR

The arch concept first appeared in an April 2025 article by design critic Catesby Leigh, who suggested a monument to mark America’s 250th anniversary and included sketches by architect Nicolas Charbonneau and developer Rodney Mims Cook Jr. Charbonneau’s firm, Harrison Design, later produced 250-foot renderings that Trump showed to donors in the White House. Historically, Washington’s major monuments have been selected through open competitions—such as Robert Mills for the Washington Monument (1814) and Maya Lin for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (1981)—but the arch has bypassed that process.

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• President Donald Trump – initiator of the project.

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• Will Scharf – White House aide appointed to chair the NCPC.

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• Chamberlain Harris – White House aide who urged commissioners to approve the concept.

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• Nicolas Charbonneau – architect with Harrison Design, lead designer.

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• Rodney Mims Cook Jr. – developer, chair of the Commission of Fine Arts.

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• Charles Birnbaum – landscape architect, Cultural Landscape Foundation.

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• Judy Feldman – art historian, National Mall Coalition.

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• David Maloney – D.C. State Historic Preservation Officer.

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• Roger Kirchen – Virginia State Historic Preservation Officer.

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• Davis Ingle – White House spokesperson.

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• Height: 250 ft, more than twice the Lincoln Memorial (99 ft) and about half the Washington Monument (555 ft).

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• Public feedback: roughly 1,700 comments, overwhelmingly negative.

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• Staff report length: 185 pages.

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• NCPC composition: 12 members; Commission of Fine Arts: 7 members.

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The arch would dominate the vista between the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, and the Arlington House—sites intended to symbolize post-Civil-War reunification. Critics argue the monument could “inject an incongruous and conflicting imperialistic symbol” into that space and alter a historic sightline that “breaks that vista and that meaning.” The project also raises questions about federal funding, as the White House has not released a cost estimate and some public money is expected to support both the arch and a proposed $400 million White House ballroom.

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• NCPC staff advise redesign to meet the Height of Buildings Act while allowing the arch to retain its 250-foot target.

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• White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said the arch would “enhance the visitor experience at Arlington National Cemetery for veterans, the families of the fallen, and all Americans alike,” serving as “a visual reminder of the noble sacrifices borne by so many American heroes throughout our 250-year history.”

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Veterans and historians have filed a federal lawsuit alleging the arch would dishonor military service by disrupting historic sightlines. Preservation officers David Maloney and Roger Kirchen wrote letters condemning the expedited 10-day review period as inconsistent with federal law. Charles Birnbaum described the decision-making group as “a small little club of people that have a fairly narrow lens for what they’re interested in.”

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The administration has not disclosed a total cost for the arch, and funding sources remain unclear. While staff recommend design revisions, the final decision timeline and any additional public-input requirements have not been specified.

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• “We're the only important and major city that doesn't have one, we don't have a triumphal arch,” — President Donald Trump

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• “To be consistent with other Western capitals that have arches, I would just urge my fellow commissioners to move forward with the concept approval of this project,” — Chamberlain Harris, White House aide

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• “It injects an incongruous and conflicting imperialistic symbol into that space,” — Roger Kirchen, Virginia State Historic Preservation Officer

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• “The whole idea is you're at least given a chance to try to affect the decision making and to protect the National Mall,” — Judy Feldman, National Mall Coalition

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• “enhance the visitor experience at Arlington National Cemetery for veterans, the families of the fallen, and all Americans alike,” — Davis Ingle, White House spokesperson

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The NCPC is scheduled to reconvene on Thursday to consider the recommended design revisions and to request additional traffic and material studies before the Interior Department’s National Park Service issues a final approval.

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