Federal planning commission moves forward with D.C. ‘Triumphal Arch’ project
President Donald Trump has undertaken many beautification projects in Washington, D.C., during his second term in the White House. One of them just got approved by the National Capital Planning Commission.
by Summer Lane | June 5, 2026
President Donald Trump just hit a milestone in his plans to build a massive triumphal arch in Washington, D.C., amid his administration’s hard push to beautify the nation’s capital.
“A very big THANK YOU to the National Capital Planning Commission on the 8-1 approval of the Great Triumphal Arch to be built at the base of the Arlington Memorial Bridge, which has been waiting for this structure for over 200 years,” the president said in a statement posted to Truth Social.
The arch, playfully nicknamed by some as the “Arc de Trump,” resembles the famous Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France. However, the renderings provided so far of the D.C. project feature an arch that is both pure white and inlaid with gold accents – reflecting the bedazzled tastes of President Trump.
“When completed, it will be, without question, the Greatest Arch of them all!” the president said.
According to The New York Times, the arch project is projected to be 250 feet tall, therefore introducing some complications to D.C.’s apparent standing 160-foot limit on D.C. structures.
The arch would potentially be built between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, according to preliminary plans.
President Trump has been busy beautifying Washington, D.C., since retaking office in 2025. He brought in the National Guard last summer to assist the D.C. Metro Police Department in cleaning up the streets by declaring a crime emergency.
He also recently oversaw the renovation of the Lincoln Reflecting Pool, resealing the bottom of the structure and cleaning it up significantly.
“This was highly sophisticated material, industrial strength, that could last for 100 years, applied by very talented people, many of whom came from the Great State of Oklahoma, where I won 77 out of 77 Counties, THREE TIMES, the only President to ever do so,” the president said on Friday. “The material is thick, strong, flexible, and has a natural, beautiful color, the dark blue of the American Flag!”
The Trump administration has also spearheaded efforts to ensure D.C. memorials and water fountains are functional and clean.
