President Donald Trump released updated renderings Friday of a proposed triumphal arch in Washington, D.C., that he says will serve as a centerpiece of celebrations marking the United States’ 250th anniversary.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that his administration had “officially filed the presentation and plans to the highly respected Commission of Fine Arts for what will be the GREATEST and MOST BEAUTIFUL Triumphal Arch, anywhere in the World.”
The design shows a 250-foot gilded arch topped with a winged figure holding a torch, flanked by eagles and lions. The arch includes inscriptions reading “One Nation Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All.” Trump wants to place it near the Arlington Memorial Bridge on the Virginia side of the Potomac River, across from the Lincoln Memorial, which is still within the District of Columbia’s boundary.
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The structure would rise more than twice the height of the Lincoln Memorial, which stands 99 feet tall, and would surpass other well-known triumphal monuments worldwide. It would also sit in a traffic circle connecting Washington and northern Virginia, within view of the National Mall.
The Interior Department submitted the design to the Commission of Fine Arts, a federal review panel made up of presidential appointees, which will evaluate the proposal on April 16. A group of Vietnam War veterans and a historian have also filed suit to block construction, arguing the monument would disrupt historic sightlines between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
Trump has promoted the arch for months, calling it a signature project for his second term and saying it would honor America’s founding and military history. He has also argued that major world capitals already feature similar monuments and that Washington lacks a comparable structure.
Here is how Trump’s proposed arch compares with major triumphal monuments around the world.
Trump’s Triumphal Arch (Washington, D.C., United States)
The planned arch rises about 250 feet, making it one of the tallest monument structures in the United States and the tallest triumphal arch in the world.
Architecture firm Harrison Design created the renderings. The design includes gilded statuary, four lions at the base, and a winged figure at the top that Trump has described as “Lady Liberty.”
Federal budget documents tied to cultural and humanities spending indicate the project could receive $15 million in public funds, including $2 million in direct initiative funding and $13 million in matching funds, with additional private contributions expected.
Arc de Triomphe (Paris, France)
The Arc de Triomphe stands about 164 feet tall and sits at the center of the Place Charles de Gaulle at the western end of the Champs-Élysées.
Napoleon Bonaparte ordered its construction in 1806 following his victory at Austerlitz. The monument honors French soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier lies beneath it.
The Paris arch remains one of Europe’s most visited monuments and serves as a central national memorial. Trump has said his proposed structure takes inspiration from the Arc de Triomphe’s design but would be more than twice as large.
Monumento a la Revolución (Mexico City, Mexico)
The Monumento a la Revolución stands about 220 feet tall in Plaza de la República in central Mexico City.
Originally planned as part of a legislative palace in the early 1900s, the structure was repurposed after the Mexican Revolution to honor the country’s revolutionary leaders. Construction was completed in 1938.
It now serves as a mausoleum for key figures in the revolution and remains one of the world’s tallest arch-style monuments. Trump’s proposed Washington arch would exceed it by roughly 30 feet.
Arch of Triumph (Pyongyang, North Korea)
The Arch of Triumph in Pyongyang rises about 197 feet, making it one of the tallest triumphal arches in the world.
North Korean President Kim Il Sung commissioned the structure in 1982 to commemorate resistance to Japanese occupation from 1925 to 1945. The monument closely resembles the Arc de Triomphe in Paris but is larger in scale and built to emphasize national independence and military history.
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