US Politics
Trump now wants his triumphal arch to be 250 feet tall, dwarfing other Washington, DC monuments
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President Donald Trump reportedly now wants his proposed “Independence Arch” in Washington, D.C., to soar 250 feet tall, more than twice the height of the Lincoln Memorial and towering over the White House.
Two people familiar with the matter, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told The Washington Post that Trump has grown attached to the larger-than-expected scale, viewing it as a symbol of national pride ahead of America’s 250th anniversary of independence this summer.
Trump has considered smaller versions of the arch, including 165-foot and 123-foot designs that he shared with supporters at a dinner last year. But he has favored the largest option, arguing that its size would leave a lasting impression on visitors to the capital.
Set to rise near the Potomac River, the proposed arch would dramatically outsize both the White House, which stands about 70 feet tall, and the Lincoln Memorial, roughly 100 feet. The Post’s sources said Trump often cites “250 for 250” to justify the height as a tribute to the nation’s milestone anniversary.
In a statement to The Independent, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said, “The Arch is going to be one of the most iconic landmarks not only in Washington, D.C., but throughout the world. President Trump’s bold vision will be imprinted upon the fabric of America and be felt by generations to come. His successes will continue to give the greatest Nation on earth — America — the glory it deserves.”
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However, architects and preservationists are concerned that bigger isn’t better, warning that such a towering structure could dominate the historic landscape and overwhelm the capital’s carefully designed memorials.
The White House has not provided details about the arch’s design, size, or construction timeline. In December, Trump told Politico he hoped to begin building within two months on Memorial Circle, a site managed by the National Park Service.
Funding for the project is expected to come from leftover private donations from Trump’s White House ballroom initiative. Any final approval would require extensive federal review, including sign-off from the National Park Service, the Commission of Fine Arts, and potentially Congress under laws governing new monuments in the capital.
This isn’t the first time Trump has pushed to enlarge a construction project. His White House ballroom is now planned to span 90,000 square feet. The $400 million project, already expanded once to accommodate 900 guests, up from 650, would be significantly larger than the main White House residence, which is about 55,000 square feet, and involves demolishing the historic East Wing in the process.
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Last week, U.S. Judge Richard Leon raised serious doubts about the legality of Trump’s planned ballroom, questioning whether the president can build it on the East Wing site without Congress’s approval.
During a January 22 hearing concerning a lawsuit brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Leon said he would rule soon on a request to halt construction.
The Trump administration says the White House ballroom project is legal, citing a tradition of presidential renovations, and argues construction won’t begin until April, making an injunction unnecessary.
Other Trump-era White House renovations that have raised eyebrows include the paving over of Jackie Kennedy’s world-famous Rose Garden and new gilded accents in the Oval Office, which is also home to his “Diet Coke” button, which was reinstated from his first term after former President Joe Biden removed it.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include the statement from the White House.