The federal body that oversees the aesthetics of the nations capital has cleared the way for President Donald Trumps towering 250-foot Triumphal Arch to advance, marking a major step toward adding a bold, classically inspired monument near Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.
C.
According to Western Journal, the United States Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) granted its approval after reviewing a slightly revised design, which had been resubmitted following feedback from commissioners at an earlier session. The project, situated near the Arlington Memorial Bridge and overlooking the hallowed grounds of Arlington, reflects a traditional vision of national pride that stands in stark contrast to the iconoclasm and monument-toppling seen in recent years.
While the arch remains 250 feet tall in the revised design, the overall height of the structure shrank with the removal of an eight-foot-tall base that had been included in a previous version presented to the Commission of Fine Arts, an agency that advises the president and Congress on design plans for monuments, memorials, coins and federal buildings, CNN reported. Four gold lions that had previously adorned the side of the arch along the base have also been removed a change the CFA had pushed for given that lions are not native to the United States, CNN further noted.
The commissions vice chairperson, architect James McCrery II, had previously indicated he would prefer that the winged Lady Liberty statue be removed from the top of the structure, WRC-TV reported. That recommendation reflected a more restrained approach to symbolism, but it ran up against Trumps desire for an unapologetically celebratory monument.
But Nicolas Charbonneau, a director at Harrison Design, which prepared the plans, told commissioners on Thursday that Trump considered removing the statue but elected not to pursue such an option because he wants the arch to celebrate America and the living, WRC-TV added. The decision to retain Lady Liberty underscores the presidents emphasis on patriotic imagery and a confident, forward-looking national identity.
Trump reacted enthusiastically when informed at the White House that the CFA had given its blessing to the project. I finally get good news, he said. So, were building whats called a Triumphal Arch right opposite the Arlington Memorial Bridge, right by Arlington Cemetery.
He compared the planned structure to one of Europes most famous monuments, the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, commissioned by Napoleon in the early 19th century to honor French military victories. We have to do slightly larger. It doesnt have to be a lot larger. Otherwise, youd all be disappointed in me, he joked, signaling both his characteristic showmanship and his intent to see the United States match or surpass Old World grandeur.
The Arc de Triomphe stands 164 feet tall, while Trumps Triumphal Arch will reach 250 feet, with the main body of the monument at 166 feet and the Lady Liberty statue and pedestal adding another 84 feet. For comparison, the Lincoln Memorial rises to 99 feet, and the Washington Monument soars just over 555 feet, placing the new arch squarely among the capitals most prominent landmarks.
Trump framed the project as filling a symbolic gap in the nations capital. He said of the arch, Were the only important and major city that doesnt have one, referring to Washington, D.C., suggesting that a triumphal arch is a fitting emblem for a leading world power.
CNN reported that the Trump administrations next hurdle will be securing approval from the National Capital Planning Commission, which oversees broader planning issues in the capital region. The arch is facing a legal challenge from a Vietnam War veterans group related to its scale and obstruction of the view of the Arlington National Cemetery and has drawn criticism from historians and preservationists, the outlet added, reflecting ongoing tensions between expansive patriotic projects and preservationist concerns.
The administration has already begun preliminary work at the proposed site, signaling that planners are serious about moving forward despite opposition. An Interior Department spokesperson told CNN, Site surveys, such as geotechnical work, have started in Memorial Circle which is statutorily required. This is standard practice to test the grounds and soil. The ongoing geotechnical and site survey work are required before providing a final proposal.
As debates continue over the nations historical memory and the fate of older monuments, Trumps Triumphal Arch represents a very different impulse: to build higher, assert national pride, and anchor American identity in enduring stone rather than fleeting political fashions. Whether the legal challenges and planning reviews ultimately alter its scale or details, the project has already become a symbolic battleground between those who wish to diminish traditional monuments and those who believe the capital of the free world should not be shy about celebrating its heritage.
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