【By Lin Chenli, Observer Net】According to a report by CNN, on October 15 local time, Trump announced that he would build a triumphal arch in Washington D.C., and said this arch was "built for him".
On the same day, at a fundraising event held in the White House banquet hall expansion, Trump presented the model of the planned triumphal arch and introduced his plan to build this new memorial building.
"It will be very beautiful, I think it will be spectacular. We have three size options, and this model corresponds to the largest version. This is just a model, it can show what it will look like when any of the three sizes is built." Trump said while holding up the model for the audience to see.
On October 15 local time, Trump showed the "triumphal arch" model at a White House dinner. Visual China
The model details show a golden winged figure holding a torch at the top center of the arch, with white eagle-shaped decorations on both sides, and the overall style is similar to the Parisian Arc de Triomphe. Trump introduced the sculpture at the top of the model as the "Statue of Liberty".
"Choose whichever size looks good, but personally, I prefer the large one," Trump added, and the audience laughed. He then asked, "Why are you so surprised?"
Additionally, during an event in the Oval Office that day, Trump was asked about the triumphal arch model on his desk. He responded, "It's an arch, you see." When asked who the arch was built for, he pointed to himself and said, "Me."
Last week, Canada's Energy Minister Tim Hudak met with Trump in the Oval Office. Photos from the scene showed Trump holding the triumphal arch model to show a group of Canadian officials.
Trump shows the triumphal arch model to Hudak and a group of Canadian officials. Hudak's X website account
According to insiders, Trump is considering building a permanent arch as part of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States next July. The arch will be built on a traffic roundabout called "Memorial Circle" opposite the Lincoln Memorial, which is an important entrance from Virginia into the city of Washington.
A senior White House official said that building the arch was Trump's idea, "He came up with the design and participated in every step of the process."
Early last month, architect Nicolas Charbonneau of Harrison Design Studio, based in Washington D.C., shared the design of the arch on social media and wrote, "This is an in-depth study of what the 'American 250th Anniversary Arch' might look like." On October 11, Trump retweeted this design on his "Truth Social" platform.
Architect Charbonneau's design of the triumphal arch. Trump's "Truth Social" account
A triumphal arch is a type of arch-shaped memorial building. It was first widely used by the Romans to commemorate military victories. Its basic structure consists of two arches connected by a large piers, with a flat top or a small room on top where statues or inscriptions can be placed. This architectural form inspired European countries to imitate it, the most famous being the Parisian Arc de Triomphe built in the early 19th century.
Trump, a real estate developer, has often expressed opinions on the field of architecture. Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has pushed forward several renovation and construction projects, such as replacing the grass in the White House Rose Garden with a stone terrace, launching the construction of a large new banquet hall in the White House, and promising to improve the parks and streets of the capital.
Trump has also repeatedly criticized the $2.5 billion renovation of the Federal Reserve Building, questioning the excessive cost of the project. In July, Trump personally visited the Federal Reserve and inspected the renovation project, criticizing it as "severely over budget".
Additionally, in August, Trump signed an executive order titled "Restoring Beauty to Federal Buildings", requiring new federal buildings to adopt a "classical traditional style" rather than the brutalist or modern styles widely used over the past half-century.
Before and after photos of the White House Rose Garden renovation by Trump. Social media
Democrats have criticized some of Trump's architectural plans, arguing that he is not improving federal buildings but destroying them. Robert Garcia, the Democratic leader of the House Oversight Committee and a U.S. Representative from California, recently criticized Trump's renovations of the White House as "embarrassing" and revealed that he is investigating the source of funding for the new White House banquet hall.
However, the proposal to build a triumphal arch has also received support from some architects and Trump's allies, who believe it is a long-overdue addition to Washington D.C.
An insider said, "Washington D.C. is the only major Western capital without a triumphal arch. Triumphal arches are a long tradition of celebrating various events, people, and ideas, and they also serve as gateways to cities."
Duncan Stroik, a professor of architecture at the University of Notre Dame and a member of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, appointed by Trump in 2019, said that the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States is an opportunity to build "public buildings" that can attract the attention of ordinary Americans.
"I hope this memorial building can demonstrate excellent architectural craftsmanship and resonate with everyone. If designed well, I think the triumphal arch can certainly achieve this," Stroik said.
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