 "Is US president building ‘Arc De Trump’ in Washington, similar to ‘Arc de Triomphe’ in Paris?")
France’s Arc de Triomphe is famed the world over.
Many of the millions of people from around the world who flock to France every year stop by the massive monument commissioned by Napoleon I. Now, US President Donald Trump wants his own version of the memorial in Washington, DC – the ‘Arc De Trump’.
But what do we know about this project? Why is Trump making this move?
Let’s take a closer look.
What do we know?
Trump unveiled the project at a thank-you dinner for donors who had contributed to his $200 million (Rs. 1,700 crore) overhaul of the White House Ballroom. Representatives from Lockheed Martin, Palantir, Alphabet’s Google, Meta and Amazon were in attendance.
Trump, during the dinner, displayed a 3D model of an arc that resembles France’s Arc de Triomphe. “He came up with the design and has been part of the process every step of the way,” a White House official told CNN.
Trump said that the monument would be located opposite the famed Lincoln Memorial. It would essentially be an entryway to Washington, DC as one arrives via the Arlington Memorial Bridge from the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. There were three sizes of the proposed monument on display – small, medium and large.
“That’s Arlington Memorial Bridge,” Trump said. “And at the end of it, you have a circle that was built 150 years ago. You have two columns on one side, two columns on the other, yet in the middle, just a circle. And everyone in the past had said something was supposed to be built there. But a thing called the Civil War interfered. That’s a good reason.”
“It’s going to be really beautiful. I think it’s going to be fantastic,” Trump told the crowd. “There’s a rendering of what it will look like. You have three sizes. That would be the largest one. This is just a model, what it would look like in either of the three, any of the three sizes.” “Whichever one would look good. I happen to think the large one,” Trump added. “Why are you shocked?”
The 3D models were on Trump’s desk in the Oval Office last week during his meeting with Finnish President Alexander Stubb. Trump has posted a watercolour design of the proposed monument on social media. The model, which is reminiscent of the French monument, features columns, eagles, wreaths, and a gilded, winged figure that looks like an angel.
The watercolour was designed by Harrison Design architect Nicolas Leo Charbonneau. The architect had posted the drawing on social media, saying, “A proposal for a triumphal arch in DC for #America250, in the traffic circle in front of Arlington National Cemetery.”
“America needs a triumphal arch!”
The design for the proposed arch remains a work in progress. No timeline has yet been established for it to be put up, though Trump will likely want it done before the end of his second term in office. Who will pay for it also remains unclear. Trump, in an executive order, stated that all new federal buildings embrace the classical style.
Why is Trump making the move?
According to Trump, the monument will be put up to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America. This is part of a wider celebration to commemorate the Declaration of Independence being signed 250 years ago in July.
Trump, who was a real estate developer prior to his bid for president in 2016, has made several efforts to remake the White House in his image. This involves decorating the Oval Office, making changes to the Cabinet Room and West Colonnade, and paving over the White House Rose Garden.
The West Wing Colonnade now has a “Presidential Walk of Fame” with gold-framed portraits of himself and all of America’s other presidents. However, instead of Biden’s portrait, the White House has put up an autopen – which Biden and many other presidents have frequently used.
“It’s so relaxing for me, real estate is relaxing,” Trump told guests. “For a lot of people, real estate is a very trying business. I’ve always liked it. I’ve always done well with it.”
This is not the first time Trump has been inspired by France. During his first term, Trump was inspired by the July 2017 Bastille Day celebrations.
“It was two hours on the button, and it was military might, and I think a tremendous thing for France and for the spirit of France,” Trump said. “We’re going to have to try to top it,” he added.
Though Trump pushed the idea to have similar parades put on by the military in America, it received pushback from politicians and generals during his first term, who said it was not in keeping with American traditions. Trump, in 2018, attempted to have a similar ceremony in Washington to celebrate the centenary of the armistice ending World War I, but that fell through too.
However, Trump refused to give up. It was only during his second term that Trump finally got his long-awaited military parade in Washington, DC. The parade, which occurred in July, fell on his 79th birthday and the 250th anniversary of the US Armed Forces.
Though the parade was estimated to have cost taxpayers around $45 million (Rs. 395 crore), it was widely viewed as a damp squib with bad weather, soldiers looking bored, and few people turning up to the parade route.
With inputs from agencies
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