New renderings released for Trump's proposed 'triumphal arch'
New renderings were released Friday for the towering 'triumphal arch" President Donald Trump wants to build near Arlington National Cemetery across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial.
In what's depicted as an arch standing 250-feet tall at Memorial Circle next to the Arlington Memorial Bridge -- the roundabout near the entrance Arlington National Cemetery -- the renderings show the arch with an inscription reading "One Nation Under God" and at its top, a gold statue of Lady Liberty with outstretched gold wings.
Four golden lions sit at each corner of the arch's base.
It would be more than twice as tall as the 99-foot Lincoln Memorial.
Trump has said he wants it to be the biggest such arch in the world, much taller than the 164-foot-tall Arc De Triomphe in Paris, for example.
"I'd like it to be the biggest one of all," Trump said in January. "We're the biggest, most powerful nation."
On Friday, he posted on his social media platform that the arch would be the "GREATEST and MOST BEAUTIFUL" of structures "anywhere in the world."
"This will be a wonderful addition to the Washington D.C. area for all Americans to enjoy for many decades to come!" he said.
He most recently showed a drawing at the White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday.
The renderings come as the Trump administration this week reached a compromise with a group of veterans suing to prevent construction of the arch, agreeing to notify the public at least two weeks before beginning work on the project in exchange for stalling the lawsuit, according to court filings.
The agreement staves off the legal challenge for now, though the group of veterans could restart the litigation if the Trump administration fails to follow the legal process for the project.
Three Vietnam War veterans argued that the Commemorative Works Act of 1986 requires the project be authorized by Congress before construction can begin, and their lawsuit raised concerns that the planned arch would obstruct the symbolic line of sight between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial.
A coalition of Democratic lawmakers led by Rep. Jared Huffman of California and Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, opposed Trump’s proposed arch earlier this year by filing an amicus brief in federal court, also arguing the project violates the Commemorative Works Act and requires congressional approval.
A spending plan for the National Endowment for the Humanities released by the administration this week also revealed that taxpayer funds would partially pay for the project.
The spending plan, approved by the Office of Budget and Management in September, says $2 million in "special initiative funds" and $13 million in matching grants are reserved for the arch.
