WASHINGTON — A federal arts commission is taking a second look at President Donald Trump’s proposal for a massive triumphal arch in the nation’s capital, after initially approving the concept with suggested modifications last month.
The towering 250-foot structure represents one of multiple initiatives the Republican president is advancing, including a White House ballroom, as part of his effort to create a lasting mark on Washington.
Trump has indicated that his various projects, including plans to add blue coloring to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool’s interior, are intended to enhance the city’s appearance for July 4th festivities celebrating America’s 250th anniversary.
The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, comprised of Trump-appointed members, gave conceptual approval to the arch during their April monthly session. Commission members are scheduled to review and potentially vote on revised proposals during Thursday’s meeting.
According to plans submitted to the federal commission, the arch would reach 250 feet in height from ground level to a torch carried by a Lady Liberty-style figure crowning the structure. The statue would be accompanied by two eagles positioned on either side and protected by four lions at ground level — all finished in gold. Golden inscriptions reading “One Nation Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All” would adorn both sides of the monument.
A public viewing platform at the top would offer panoramic views in all directions.
Commission vice chairman, architect James McCrery II, expressed preference in April for the arch design without the sculptural elements on top. Eliminating these figures would substantially lower the arch’s height by approximately 80 feet. Project opponents, including a large majority of April public commenters, argued the arch would exceed the height of all other monuments in the capital and overpower the skyline.
At its proposed 250-foot height, the arch would tower over the 99-foot Lincoln Memorial and reach nearly half the height of the 555-foot Washington Monument obelisk.
McCrery also suggested removing the base lions since that species is “not a beast natural to the North American continent.” He further opposed plans for an underground pedestrian tunnel leading to the arch, which would be constructed on a traffic circle situated between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
Site surveys and preliminary testing commenced last week.
A coalition of veterans and a historian have filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration seeking to halt construction, claiming the arch would interfere with the visual connection between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House at Arlington National Cemetery, among other concerns.
Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum have contended that Washington remains the sole major Western capital lacking such an arch. Burgum oversees the National Park Service through his department, which controls the proposed construction site.
Trump’s Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation has also sparked legal action from The Cultural Landscape Foundation, which claims the administration’s decision to repaint the pool’s bottom blue without conducting proper reviews violates federal historic preservation regulations.
The nonprofit organization argued in a lawsuit filed last week that the Reflecting Pool modifications represent part of Trump’s wider campaign to implement sweeping Washington renovations without appropriate oversight and alter the area’s character.
A court hearing in that case was set for Thursday afternoon in federal court in Washington.
