The White House has unveiled plans for a gold-accented giant victory arch dubbed the 'Arc de Trump', that Donald Trump wants built in the nation's capital. The 250ft (76m) monument, if approved, would be taller than the US Capitol building and the Lincoln Memorial, and feature a golden Lady Liberty-like torch and crown. It will be 'the GREATEST and MOST BEAUTIFUL Triumphal Arch, anywhere in the World' Trump wrote on social media. 'This will be a wonderful addition to the Washington DC area for all Americans to enjoy for many decades to come!'
The arch is just one of Trump's controversial efforts to reshape Washington's landscape and faces legal hurdles similar to his new ballroom project. The administration said it has officially filed the plans with the Commission of Fine Arts, a panel made up of Trump allies, which will review the proposal next week.
American taxpayers will help fund the project, according to a publicly available spending plan for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) released by the White House. As per the spending plan, the NEH will dedicate $2m (£1.5m) in special funds and $13m in matching funds to the project. Trump has previously said that since his ballroom project was 'fully financed', some of the leftover money would be used to fund the arch.
The renderings of the arch depict gold inscriptions that say One Nation Under God, topped with two gold eagles, and guarded by statues of four gold lions. The arch will serve 'as a visual reminder of the noble sacrifices borne by so many American heroes throughout our 250-year history so we can enjoy our freedoms today', White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement.
When the president announced the project last year, he expressed a desire for the arch to be based on the Arc de Triomphe in France and to welcome visitors entering the nation’s capital from Arlington National Cemetery, as they cross the Memorial Bridge into the city.
'Every time somebody rides over that beautiful bridge to the Lincoln Memorial, they literally say something is supposed be here,' Trump said. Besides this project, the administration has plans for substantial renovations at the Kennedy Center and the construction of a new monument known as the National Garden of American Heroes, sparking both enthusiasm and concern regarding Washington, D.C.'s evolving landscape.
The arch is just one of Trump's controversial efforts to reshape Washington's landscape and faces legal hurdles similar to his new ballroom project. The administration said it has officially filed the plans with the Commission of Fine Arts, a panel made up of Trump allies, which will review the proposal next week.
American taxpayers will help fund the project, according to a publicly available spending plan for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) released by the White House. As per the spending plan, the NEH will dedicate $2m (£1.5m) in special funds and $13m in matching funds to the project. Trump has previously said that since his ballroom project was 'fully financed', some of the leftover money would be used to fund the arch.
The renderings of the arch depict gold inscriptions that say One Nation Under God, topped with two gold eagles, and guarded by statues of four gold lions. The arch will serve 'as a visual reminder of the noble sacrifices borne by so many American heroes throughout our 250-year history so we can enjoy our freedoms today', White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement.
When the president announced the project last year, he expressed a desire for the arch to be based on the Arc de Triomphe in France and to welcome visitors entering the nation’s capital from Arlington National Cemetery, as they cross the Memorial Bridge into the city.
'Every time somebody rides over that beautiful bridge to the Lincoln Memorial, they literally say something is supposed be here,' Trump said. Besides this project, the administration has plans for substantial renovations at the Kennedy Center and the construction of a new monument known as the National Garden of American Heroes, sparking both enthusiasm and concern regarding Washington, D.C.'s evolving landscape.
