At the beginning of April, the Trump administration submitted a twelve-page technical file to the Commission of Fine Arts. It presents the Independence Arch, a triumphal arch of 76.2 m, or 250 feet for the 250th anniversary of the United States, which the American press is already calling the “Trump Arch”. During a press conference at the White House in December 2025, Trump declared: “We are going to build an arch like the Arc de Triomphe. It will be like the one in Paris, but, to be honest, it will crush it in every way. » (see box below). The building is located in the center of Memorial Circle, a 91 m diameter roundabout located on Columbia Island, opposite the Lincoln Memorial and the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery.
The first 2D models demonstrate an ancient vocabulary on a large scale. The rusticated Indian limestone base extends over 61 m by 46 m. The central bay is almost 37 m wide under a semi-circular vault. The penthouse bears the inscriptions “One Nation Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All” in 8-foot gold letters. Four 9 m lions frame the walls. At the top, an 18 m winged figure, flanked by two 7.3 m eagles, dominates the whole.
The building is designed to be open to the public. Three levels are planned, including a gazebo offering views of the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington and the National Mall. Two elevators and a spiral staircase provide access.
The arch stands out from Washington’s memorial tradition. The Lincoln Memorial, 30 m high, has a sobriety of Ionic inspiration. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial favors erasure. Trump’s arc introduces more than doubled verticality. It is part of the decree “Promoting Beautiful Federal Architecture”, during Trump’s first term, which rejects brutalism and modernism in favor of a neoclassicism presented as timeless. The Commission will examine the work on April 16.
A 76.2m model was installed in October 2025 on the presidential office. The renderings distributed on social networks favor the low angle view and downplay the human scale. Trump’s social network, Truth Social, promises “the largest and most beautiful in the world” and compares the work to the India Gate in New Delhi. The plates from April 9 and 10 show a monument designed to be visible from afar, including at night.
The financing mixes public and private funds, with 15 million dollars (13 million euros) from the federal government and reallocations from fundraising estimated between 300 and 500 million dollars (256 to 427 million euros). Related developments are estimated at around 150 million (128 million euros). The inauguration is scheduled for July 4, the national holiday, subject to legal recourse.
