Trump's 250-foot 'triumphal arch' would loom over Potomac, new renderings show

New architectural drawings of President Donald Trump's controversial proposed "triumphal arch" released on Friday show a 250-foot structure standing across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.The drawings, submitted by Harrison Design to the Commission of Fine Arts ahead of that independent agency's April 16 meeting on the proposal, show a large white structure, topped with a gilded Lady Liberty statue and the words "One Nation Under God." Four golden lions surround the arch at its base.The arch, according to its renderings, would be more than double the height of the Lincoln Memorial. Trump told reporters earlier this year that the arch would be "the most beautiful in the world."The monument, which Trump has teased since last year, is slated to be built in Memorial Circle, a roundabout near Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, which leads into downtown D.C.The renderings are the first official plans the Trump administration has filed for the arch, one of several projects aimed at celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence this summer.Trump on Feb. 1 told reporters, "For 200 years, they wanted to build an arch.""Close to 57 cities around the world have triumphal arches, and Washington, DC — the only major city — still doesn't," he said.On Feb. 2, the president posted on social media an image showing India Gate, with the message: "India's beautiful Triumphal Arch. Ours will be the greatest of them all!"Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., blasted the arch project in a social media post on Friday."While Americans worry about skyrocketing costs and another endless war, President Trump is focused on a taxpayer-funded vanity project that would choke traffic, block our skyline, and tower over sacred ground where those who served our nation are buried, including my own parents and sister," Beyer wrote in his post on Bluesky."This isn't about America's 250th or honoring our veterans," Beyer wrote. "It's about Donald Trump's ego —and we're going to stop it."The Commission of Fine Arts, which will consider the proposal, is stacked with Trump allies. The agency in February approved the president's $400 million, 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom renovation.A federal judge in Washington, D.C., on March 31 blocked the ballroom renovation, for now, saying no law "comes close" to giving Trump legal authority to build such a structure at the White House without Congress authorizing it.The news outlet NOTUS reported this week that the Trump administration planned to use taxpayer funds to pay for the arch. According to the National Endowment for the Humanities' fiscal 2026 spending plan, $2 million in special initiative funds and $13 million in matching funds are reserved for the project.Vietnam War veterans and a historian filed a lawsuit in February in U.S. District Court in Washington to stop construction of the arch, arguing that it would obstruct views of the Vietnam War and Lincoln memorials from Arlington National Cemetery.

Judge Tanya Chutkan last week declined to issue a preliminary injunction that would block the arch, MS Now reported.Got a confidential news tip? We want to hear from you.Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inboxGet this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services.© 2026 Versant Media, LLC.

All Rights Reserved. A Versant Media Company. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis. Data also provided by