The Trump administration on Friday submitted official renderings and plans for a proposed 250-foot triumphal arch to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, formally launching the review process for what would become one of the tallest monuments in the Washington, D.C., area. The structure, dubbed the "Independence Arch," would rise from the Memorial Circle roundabout across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial, a site that has sat largely vacant for more than a century.
President Trump announced the filing on Truth Social, calling it "the GREATEST and MOST BEAUTIFUL Triumphal Arch, anywhere in the World." The project, envisioned to mark the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding, has already drawn a federal lawsuit and an amicus brief from congressional Democrats, but the administration is pressing forward with the formal approval process required for large construction projects in the District of Columbia.
The renderings, first reported by the Daily Caller, were created by Harrison Design, an American architectural firm with offices across the country. They show a gilded arch topped by a 60-foot golden winged angel, identified by Trump as Lady Liberty, holding a torch and wearing a crown. Four golden lion statues stand at the base. Two eagles flank the structure.
The arch would carry two inscriptions facing in opposite directions. One side, oriented toward the Lincoln Memorial, would read "ONE NATION UNDER GOD." The other, facing Arlington National Cemetery, would bear the words "LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL." The Washington Examiner reported that the monument is modeled in part after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, though at 250 feet, it would tower over its French counterpart, which stands 164 feet tall.
Trump himself has not been shy about the comparison.
"It is something that is so special. It will be like the one in Paris, but to be honest with you, it blows it away."
He told reporters on January 31 that the scale was deliberate.
"The height is just appropriate for the site. I'd like it to be the biggest one of all. We're the biggest, most powerful nation."
The proposed location, Memorial Circle, a traffic roundabout connecting Washington to northern Virginia, sits between two of the most sacred sites in the capital: the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. White House spokesman Davis Ingle framed the project as a tribute to military sacrifice.
"It will 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 so we can enjoy our freedoms today."
Ingle went further in remarks reported by Fox News, calling the arch a centerpiece of the president's broader vision to reshape the capital. "The Arch is going to be one of the most iconic landmarks not only in Washington, D.C., but throughout the world," he said. "President Trump's bold vision will be imprinted upon the fabric of America and be felt by generations to come."
The administration has stressed that the concept of a grand arch at Memorial Circle is not new. Trump pointed to historical precedent when reporters asked about the project at the White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday.
"You got to be kidding. This was approved 100 years ago... It never got built. It was stopped by a thing called the Civil War. They've been, that circle has sat there vacant for hundreds, like 150 years or something. And they tried to do it again in around 1901, but it never happened. I think it's going very good, and our veterans are the ones that should like it. It's called the Triumphal Arch. It's in honor of the veterans."
Newsmax noted that Trump had referenced the interrupted history in earlier remarks as well, saying in February that the original plan "was interrupted by a thing called the Civil War, and so it never got built," and that a second attempt around 1902 also fell through.
Trump first teased the project publicly in October 2025, when he showcased a 3-D model. A USA TODAY Video post from October 16, 2025, described it as Trump's "newest real estate project, reminiscent of Paris's imposing Arc de Triomphe." That same month, Trump fired six commissioners on the CFA who had been appointed by former President Joe Biden. He replaced them with supporters in January and February, partly to allow for a court-mandated review of the East Wing Modernization project.
The administration's willingness to take decisive executive action, whether halting Biden-era spending commitments or reshaping advisory bodies, has been a consistent theme of Trump's second term.
The submission to the Commission of Fine Arts formally initiates a review process that applies to all major construction projects in the District of Columbia. The CFA, established in 1910, is charged with giving expert advice on design and aesthetics. It has seven members who serve four-year terms without compensation, supported by twelve professional staff.
Rodney Mims Cook Jr., the Trump-appointed CFA chairman, told The Washington Post on Friday that he planned to review at Thursday's CFA meeting how the arch would affect pedestrian views of Arlington House, the hilltop estate of Confederate General Robert E. Lee that overlooks the cemetery.
Cook has been enthusiastic about the president's ambitions.
"There has never been a builder president like this one, since President Jefferson, and I think it's time we had another."
The project also falls within the scope and jurisdiction of the National Capital Planning Commission under the Commemorative Works Act. A recently released spending plan from the National Endowment for the Humanities shows $2 million in special initiative funds and $13 million in matching funds have been reserved for the arch, a total of $15 million earmarked so far, though the full cost of a 250-foot gilded monument would almost certainly run far higher.
The administration has pursued major projects and deals on multiple fronts simultaneously, from securing a cease-fire deal with Iran to reshaping the physical landscape of the capital itself.
Not everyone shares the White House's enthusiasm. In February 2026, three veterans of the Vietnam War who later served as diplomats filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The suit, brought by Public Citizen, argued the arch "would dishonor their military and foreign service and the legacy of their comrades and other veterans buried at Arlington National Cemetery, and would degrade their personal experience when visiting Arlington Cemetery or traveling around Memorial Circle and on the Memorial Avenue Corridor."
Democrats filed an amicus brief in March voicing similar opposition. The brief, posted on the House Natural Resources Democrats page, added congressional weight to the legal challenge, though it remains unclear what specific statutory claims the plaintiffs have asserted or what relief they seek.
Trump dismissed the lawsuit at the Easter Egg Roll, calling it hard to believe given the project's historical roots and its stated purpose of honoring veterans. The AP reported that the CFA released a 12-page plan detailing the arch's design and placement, underscoring the administration's intent to move the project through formal channels despite the legal headwinds.
Whether the courts slow the project or the review commissions raise objections, the administration has made clear it views the Independence Arch as more than a monument. It is a statement, about the country's founding, about its military sacrifices, and about a president who has consistently shown he intends to leave a mark on the institutions he governs.
Several significant details remain unresolved. Construction has not yet begun. The full cost of the project has not been disclosed. The CFA and the National Capital Planning Commission have not yet weighed in with formal recommendations. And the February lawsuit is still pending, with no ruling on the merits.
The Thursday CFA meeting, where Cook plans to examine the arch's visual impact on Arlington House and the surrounding landscape, will be the first major public test of whether the design can survive expert scrutiny. Trump's allies in Washington will be watching closely.
Memorial Circle has sat empty for more than a hundred years. The people who want to keep it that way will have to explain why a vacant traffic roundabout honors veterans more than a monument built in their name.