President Donald Trump’s ambitious plan for a ‘Triumphal Arch’ has been revealed to include a striking height of 250 feet, significantly surpassing initial expectations. According to reports, this monumental structure will rise above many renowned landmarks, including the Arc de Triomphe in France and even the White House.
Insiders shared with the Washington Post that the monument, envisioned to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, will be a towering addition to the nation’s capital. Trump first introduced this concept in October, aiming to create an enduring symbol of national pride.
The proposed location for the arch is strategically chosen to sit on a traffic circle on the Virginia side of the Potomac River, nestled between the iconic Lincoln Memorial and the solemn Arlington National Cemetery. This placement is intended to enhance its visibility and significance.
Funding for this grand project is expected to come from private donations that remain unused following the renovation of the White House ballroom. This financial strategy ensures that the arch’s construction will not burden taxpayers.
Standing at an imposing 250 feet, the arch will overshadow the nearby Lincoln Memorial, which is 99 feet tall, and the White House, which reaches 70 feet. This scale underscores Trump’s vision to create a landmark that not only commemorates a pivotal moment in American history but also stands as a testament to the nation’s aspirations and achievements.
At 250 feet, the proposed arch will be taller than the nearby Lincoln Memorial at 99 feet and the White House at 70 feet.
The president previously considered smaller versions of the monument including designs that were 165 and 123 feet which he shared last year.
However, sources told the Post that he decided that ‘250 for 250’ makes the most sense and would be more likely to wow tourists and visitors.
For comparison, Paris’s Arc de Triomphe is 164 feet tall.
President Donald Trump’s planned ‘Triumphal Arch’ would rise to 250 feet, newly revealed documents show, far taller than previously understood and high enough to overshadow nearly every landmark around it
Bicyclists ride along the Mt. Vernon Trail that follows the Potomac River in Virginia near the Arlington Memorial Bridge, with the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument seen in the view
Trump said the arch will sit on a traffic circle on the Virginia side of the Potomac River between the Lincoln Memorial and the Arlington National Cemetery
Trump pitched the arch as a centerpiece of the country’s Semiquincentennial celebrations and told Politico the project enjoyed broad enthusiasm among supporters.
Last year Trump told Politico that construction on the ‘Triumphal Arch’, nicknamed the ‘Arc de Trump’, would begin shortly.
‘It hasn’t started yet. It starts sometime in the next two months. It’ll be great. Everyone loves it,’ he said from Mar-a-Lago. ‘They love the ballroom too. But they love the Triumphal Arch,’ he added.
The arch was planned alongside other high-profile initiatives, including a UFC fight night on the White House South Lawn timed to his 80th birthday and a large-scale light display projected onto the Washington Monument.
Trump described the UFC event as featuring ‘many matches, like 10,’ adding that Dana White would select the card. ‘Well, Dana’s picking them.
He’s the best fight-picker there is, right? He’s going to pick all of the top fighters. Going to be all championship matches. It’ll be the best ever, I think. Really incredible.’
The monument signifies Trump’s latest foray into construction and comes off the heels of his divisive renovations at the White House.
A model of the ‘Triumphal Arch,’ which has also been nicknamed the ‘Arc de Trump’ was captured sitting on the Resolute Desk of the Oval Office in October
In meetings with donors last fall, Trump argued that both projects would ‘beautify’ Washington.
He earmarked the empty traffic circle near Arlington Memorial Bridge and declaring that something monumental always ‘belonged’ there.
‘Every time somebody rides over that beautiful bridge to the Lincoln Memorial, they literally say something is supposed to be here,’ Trump told donors.
‘We have versions of it … this is a mockup,’ he added, noting that planners in 1902 considered a Robert E. Lee statue for the site. ‘Would have been OK with me – would have been OK with a lot of people in this room.’
But some architects and historians warned that a 250-foot structure would block historic sightlines and distort views between Arlington House, Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial.
Art critic Catesby Leigh, who previously proposed an a temporary pop-up 60-foot concept arch in a 2024 opinion piece, objected to Trump’s supersized vision.
‘I don’t think an arch that large belongs there,’ Leigh told the Washington Post. ‘If you’re going to build an arch that big, you should build it in another part of town and one possible site that comes to mind is Barney Circle .there’s nothing around it competing with it.’
The White House has commissioned architect Nicolas Leo Charbonneau, who Leigh recommended, to develop the arch, with designs ranging from classical stone to gold-gilded variants.
Artist diagrams of the planned Triumph Arch are seen at a dinner with Trump in October 2025 to raise money for his ballroom extension in the East Room of the White House
Helicopter shot looking over the Southwest Waterfront towards the Washington Monument in Washington, DC
Calder Loth, a retired Senior Architectural Historian for the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, warned that a 250-foot-high arch could obstruct pedestrians’ views of the Arlington National Cemetery.
‘I would be very concerned about the scale,’ told the outlet. ‘It would make Arlington House just look like a dollhouse – or you couldn’t see it all, with the arch blocking the view.’
Daily Mail has reached out to the White House for comment.
