Trump appointees green-light his 250-foot ‘triumphal arch’ amid public backlash. Why is it so big — and what comes next?

It was originally supposed to be under 60 feet. It later increased to 76 feet. It later rose to 164 feet and more.

Now, the new “triumphal arch” that President Trump wants to build across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial is set to stand 70 feet tall from bottom to top; this would make it the tallest building in any capital city in the world.

On Thursday, the U.S. Commission on Fine Arts, a federal agency tasked with reviewing the “design and aesthetics” of all construction in Washington, D.C., evaluated plans submitted by the president and the U.S. Department of the Interior. The panel, filled with Trump appointees, voted to proceed with the project (just as they had previously done in the president’s new 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom).

Commission chairman Rodney Mims Cook Jr. “This is a personal situation for the president,” he said at the meeting.

The commission also noted that of the nearly 1,000 public comments submitted before the vote, “100% were against the project.”

So will the president’s so-called Arc de Trump (official name: the Arc de Triomphe of the United States) actually be built? And if so, when? Here’s everything we know so far.

What does Trump propose?

according to official architectural renderings The United States Triumphal Arch, which was opened last week, will be 250 meters high; this will be almost 30 meters taller, similar to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

Like its French counterpart, Trump’s arch will be constructed primarily of stone, with various classical elements (lintels, cornices, friezes, balusters) carved from the same material.

Unlike the Arc de Triomphe, the US Triumphal Arch would also shine with plenty of gold. Golden lions were located next to the stairs on both sides of the main structure. Gold medallions would adorn the safe’s case. Gold decorations will surround the penthouse, including inscriptions “One Nation Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All.” The arch would be topped by three golden statues: two eagles and a winged, crowned figure reminiscent of the Statue of Liberty.

“The thing people know most about is the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France, and I think we’re going to go way above that,” Trump said in December. “All they have is history.”

Architect Nicolas Leo Charbonneau’s winning design caught the president’s attention “because of its decorations.” According to the New York Timesto defeat the “lesser one”, “less decorative” suggestion. Trump also claimed:goldenization”of the Oval Office since returning to the White House last January.

when a CBS reporter asked When Trump asked who the monument was for last year, he pointed to himself and replied: “Me.”

“It’s going to be beautiful,” he added.

The U.S. Triumphal Arch will be built on Memorial Circle, a grassy intersection near the Arlington National Cemetery, just across the Arlington Memorial Bridge from the Lincoln Memorial.

What are the dimensions of other triumphal arches?

According to the Times, “ancient civilizations often built grand arches to commemorate military or civilian achievements. The Romans adorned their cities with arches to celebrate imperial conquests, such as the sack of Jerusalem. The French originally built the Arc de Triomphe to symbolize Napoleon’s military victories.”

But only a few countries have built triumphal arches in recent years, including Indonesia, North Korea and Iraq. Still, Washington remains “the only major Western capital without a monumental arch,” according to a 2025 essay by architecture critic Catesby Leigh, who encouraged Trump to erect his own arch.

If built as planned, the US Triumphal Arch will replace the 220-meter Monument to the Revolution in Mexico City as the largest structure of its kind. Pyongyang’s 197-meter Triumphal Arch will drop to third place.

The 250-meter measurement was also chosen to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, which the United States celebrates this summer. By comparison, the Lincoln Memorial is 99 feet tall; The Washington Monument is 555 meters high.

Leigh had originally proposed a temporary structure no taller than 60 feet that could be built in time for this summer’s celebrations. “And if the arch is thought to have lasting value in terms of its design, then it could be permanently rebuilt,” Leigh told the Times.

However, the bid was later increased to 76 feet to symbolize America’s founding year; Before Trump insisted it would surpass the 56-metre Arc de Triomphe.

At Thursday’s Fine Arts Commission meeting, vice president James C. McCrery II, who was also the original architect of Trump’s ballroom, objected to the sculptures atop the arch.

McCrery said, “I wonder if you need them there?” he asked. Without the statues, the height of the structure would be reduced to approximately 56 meters.

When will the belt be built?

There’s no chance the United States will have enough time to build a massive classical arch before this year’s big Fourth of July celebrations. Instead, the administration “anticipates breaking ground on the site this summer, with construction completed before the end of Mr. Trump’s term,” according to the Times.

A. presentation of this summer’s “Great American State Fair” A photo released Thursday by the Freedom 250 organization, which plans “presidential-level celebrations for our nation’s 250th birthday,” showed a smaller, possibly temporary version of the design at one end of the National Mall.

How much will it cost (and who will pay for it)?

The administration has not even released a cost estimate for its budget or budget.

As in the White House ballroom, Trump suggested donors could pay for the project. But last National Endowment for the Arts “spending plan” It shows taxpayers are also prepared to contribute $2 million in private funds and up to $13 million in private donations.

A White House official told the Times that “the cost of the arch is still being calculated but will likely be paid for with a mix of public and private money.”

What’s next? Are there any obstacles in your way?

The White House said the US would “fulfill all legal requirements” for the construction of the Triumphal Arch. After being approved by the Fine Arts Commission on Thursday, the proposal is expected to go to the National Capital Planning Commission (the federal government’s central planning agency for the Washington, D.C. area).

But whether the plans make it to Congress is another story. In October, Trump abruptly demolished the East Wing of the White House to make way for a 90,000-square-foot ballroom financed by at least $350 million from corporate donors and political allies. A federal judge has halted that project multiple times — including on Thursday — because he said it exceeded what a president could change in a historic building like the White House without congressional approval.

In February, a group of Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian sued to block Trump’s arch project, arguing that “Congressional approval is required for the construction of symbolic and commemorative works in the nation’s capital” and that “a number of other laws impose procedural requirements that must be met before erecting a monument on Memorial Circle.” They also claim that Trump’s belt would disrupt the line of sight between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.

According to CNNThe U.S. Arc de Triomphe will soon face “other, tougher reviews that require public input, including the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act.”

As part of those reviews, “stakeholders are expected to be consulted, including the Arlington National Cemetery, the National Park Service, and the DC State Historic Preservation Office,” CNN reported.

What do supporters and critics say?

This will be “the LARGEST and MOST BEAUTIFUL Arc de Triomphe anywhere in the world. It will be a wonderful addition to the Washington DC area that all Americans will enjoy for decades to come!” -Embers, on social media

“It will be an architectural masterpiece to celebrate our history here in Washington, D.C.…Great nations build beautiful structures that foster national pride and love of country, and this victory arc should be a project that all Americans of all political persuasions can support.” —Karoline LeavittWhite House press secretary

“The cemetery needs to talk. This arch is just a crude cutout. Whatever you think of it aesthetically, this is the wrong place for it.” —calder lothArchitectural historian who filed a lawsuit to block the project

“It’s too big for this site.” —Catesby LeighThe architecture critic who initially encouraged Trump to build an arch

“It would be extremely out of proportion to its surroundings” and “appears to ignore established norms that prioritize harmony with existing structures, preservation of sight lines, and respect for the symbolic hierarchy of capitals and landmarks.” -ONE anonymous public comment Read aloud at Thursday’s Fine Arts Commission meeting

“Allowing the Arch to be built without proper congressional authorization and review could lead to the uncontrolled proliferation of monuments, the erosion of public space, and severe limitations on the ability of future generations to commemorate their losses and achievements. … Washington, D.C. is not the President’s backyard to renovate, remodel, and build as he sees fit.” —Democratic members of Congress in March friendly summary Opened in support of the lawsuit to stop construction