Featured Image Credit: Harrison Design and the US Commission of Fine Arts
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, US News, Washington
William Morgan
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, US News, Washington
Washington DC may be about to get a brand new monument to dominate the skyline of the nation's capital, after the Trump administration revealed more of their plans to build a 250 foot triumphal arch on Friday.
With Trump now a year-and-a-half into his second and final term, with a difficult midterm election coming up, minds in his top team are turning to his presidential legacy, with a plan to stamp his mark forever on Washington DC.
The planned monument, nicknamed the 'arc de Trump' after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris that it is mimicking, will see Donald Trump join the nation's great presidents like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Thomas Jefferson in having a permanent monument in DC.
Plans submitted for approval to a board of Trump appointees, after the previous six commissioners were fired, reveal that the 250ft monument will be topped by a 60ft golden Lady Liberty statue - making the Arc de Trump about 20ft taller than the US Capitol building.
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Underneath the statue and stretching across the entire width of the proposed monument will be the words 'One Nation Under God', according to plans mocked up by architects Harrison Design. At its base will be two golden lions.
Announcing his plans to make another massive change to the face of DC, following his stalled plans to build a massive ballroom on the site of the former East Wing, Trump said on Truth Social: "This will be a wonderful addition to the Washington DC area for all Americans to enjoy for many decades to come!"
Naturally, not everyone is happy with Trump reshaping the face of the nation's capital, leading some to 'review bomb' the architectural firm that came up with the plans.
One person called the plans 'Tacky, uninspired, and derivative,' and went on to say: "Harrison Design’s work on the D.C. triumphal arch is a step backward for American architecture.
"Choosing to design a literal monument to ego rather than creating something original or meaningful for the 250th anniversary shows a complete lack of vision and a questionable set of firm values."
It is not yet clear how the massive construction project will be funded, however, an administration official told the Guardian that 'some combination of public and private funds' will be used to pay for it.
The Trump-appointed Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) will meet on April 16 to decide whether to add the triumphal arch to the monuments in DC, with the construction planned for the Memorial Circle at the foot of the Arlington Memorial Bridge.
This would place it directly opposite the Lincoln Memorial, which is with the Potomac River separating them.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement: “It will enhance the visitor experience at Arlington National Cemetery for veterans, the families of the fallen, and all Americans alike, serving 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.”
When Trump first revealed his intentions to add a new monument to DC last year, he stated that he wanted the arch to directly reference France's Arc de Triomphe, built under Emperor Napoleon to commemorate the expansionist wars that followed the French Revolution, that ultimately led to his defeat.
Napoleon was, in turn, referencing the 2000-year-old Arch of Titus in Rome, built to celebrate the military victories of Emperors Vespasian and Titus. Decorating both arches are sculptures and engravings referencing these great battles in world history.
So perhaps that 'Arc de Trump' will have friezes depicting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro being kidnapped by Delta Force, or the airstrikes on Iran that have killed 3000 people but left the decimated regime largely in tact.