Administration Unveils Website for Blocked Arch Project

The Trump administration launched a dedicated website on Friday to showcase plans for a massive new monument in Washington, D.C., one day after a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order against its construction.

The site details the design for a 250-foot structure that the administration intends to build between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The proposal calls for a building made of gray granite and gold ornamentation, featuring towering doors with sculptural panels at its base. At the apex of the arch, a golden cherub holds a flaming torch, a design element that mirrors a smaller version of the Statue of Liberty.

The website identifies the project as the United States Military Triumphal Arch. It displays bird's-eye views of the structure from multiple angles and lists the phrases that will be inscribed on the monument. One side will read “One Nation Under God,” while the other will display “Golden Age of America.” The design also includes an event space accessible by elevators and stairs within the horizontal span of the arch.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued the temporary order on Thursday, prohibiting work on the site for 14 days. This legal action followed a recent vote by a federal planning commission to approve the arch. The commission is composed largely of allies appointed by President Trump. The White House promoted the new website the morning after the judge signed the order.

The project remains costly and complex. Estimates for the arch have reached as high as $100 million, though the website does not specify the final price or the method of payment. The structure includes specific military provisions beyond its ceremonial function. The site states that massive columns will store munitions, while areas on the pedestal and observation deck are reserved for snipers and countersnipers.

The website describes the monument as “Highly Secretive but, at the same time, a Top Level and Lethal structure, the likes of which has not been seen in this Country before.” It also notes that an open ground area at the base will be designed for launching drones and other homeland security assets. The text claims the project is “long overdue” and has been sought for many years, especially by the military.

The administration has continued to advance its renovation agenda despite recent political shifts. Democrats will take control of Congress in January, a move expected to increase scrutiny of the president's projects. These efforts include naming the Kennedy Center after the president, remaking a public golf course, and building a large White House ballroom.

President Trump has previously suggested the structure might be called the “Arc de Trump,” a reference to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The new website repeats the administration's claim that Washington has wanted a similar structure for centuries. It features a photograph of the president and includes his quote: “This will be the greatest and most beautiful triumphal arch, anywhere in the world.”