National Park Service Worries Trump’s Arch Could Defile Historical Sites
3Aug. 7, 2026
In a recent report, the National Park Service (NPS) has stated that Trump’s proposed United States Triumphal Arch would “result in impacts to the integrity of historic properties” in the nation’s capital.
The proposed arch is a gilded, 250-foot-tall monument that would be situated within Memorial Circle at the western end of the Arlington Memorial Bridge. In the NPS’s report, the organization worried the new memorial could alter the D.C. skyline to such an extent that historical bonds between existing structures could be broken.
Trump’s arch project, which the NPS simply refers to as the “undertaking,” could disrupt the “primary ceremonial axis linking the Washington D.C. monumental core with Arlington National Cemetery.” In other words, the symbolic relationship linking the Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial (each site has a direct view of the other) is at risk if the Triumphal Arch is installed as designed. Related Trump Administration’s Assault on Smithsonian Continues With Proposed Budget Cuts Trump Administration’s Gaudy Gilding of DC Statues Divides Opinions
Trump has several controversial construction projects in mind for D.C., but his vision for the Triumphal Arch is particularly egregious. The proposed structure would stand at more than double the height of the Lincoln Monument, which is a mere 90 feet tall. Size is not the only abnormal feature of the proposal: In the place of a traditional quadriga or equestrian figure which normally adorn the tops of arches, Trump is planning to feature a gilded angel and sentries far gaudier than any other federal building ornamentation.
The National Park Service’s list of sites at risk of debasement includes 37 separate locations, including the Lyndon B. Johnson Memorial Grove, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Francis Scott Key Bridge and the National Cathedral.
The Trump administration must seek final approval for the Arch by the National Capital Planning Commission, which next meets on September 3rd.
“The Triumphal Arch in Memorial Circle is going to be one of the most iconic landmarks not only in Washington, D.C., but throughout the world,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle told the AP. “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.”