Trump's Washington arch plan includes golden-winged figure, eagles,
lions and 'One Nation Under God'
[April 11, 2026]
By COREY WILLIAMS
WASHINGTON
(AP) — President Donald Trump's plans for a new triumphal arch in the
capital, unveiled on Friday, include a towering winged figure with a
Lady Liberty-like torch and crown, flanked by two eagles and guarded by
four lions — all gilded.
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Artist renderings and diagrams for President Donald Trump's new
triumphal arch released by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts that is
planned to be built in Washington between the Lincoln Memorial and
Arlington National Cemetery, are photographed Friday, April 10, 2026.
(AP Photo/Jon Elswick) |
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The 12-page plan released by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts
shows the arch will stand 250 feet tall (76.2 meters) from its
base to the tip of the winged figure's torch, with “One Nation
Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All” inscribed in gold
atop either side of the monument.
The plan indicates the structure would stand between the Lincoln
Memorial in the east and Arlington National Cemetery toward the
west and within a traffic circle connecting Washington with
northern Virginia. The arch would dwarf the Lincoln Memorial,
which stands at 99 feet tall (30.2 meters).
Trump wrote on social media that it “will be the GREATEST and
MOST BEAUTIFUL Triumphal Arch, anywhere in the World. This will
be a wonderful addition to the Washington D.C. area for all
Americans to enjoy for many decades to come!”
Trump has said he wants to build the arch near the Lincoln
Memorial and argued that the nation’s capital first sought such
a monument 200 years ago.
“It was interrupted by a thing called the Civil War, and so it
never got built,” Trump said in February. “Then, they almost
built something in 1902, but it never happened.”
Trump has said that major cities around the world have such
monuments, and Washington is the only one without one.
The arch is one of several architectural changes Trump is making
in his second term. In addition to building a large ballroom at
the White House, he's also made changes to the Oval Office and
converted the Rose Garden into a stone-covered patio.
The arch goes beyond the White House, giving Trump a chance to
leave another lasting monument in a city known for them. It
would expand on his earlier talk of sprucing up the city by
replacing its “tired” grasses, and broken signage and street
medians.
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