Fine arts commission approves Trump’s memorial arch project in Virginia

The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts gave Donald Trump’s 250-foot memorial arch final approval Thursday, even though the design still lacked key sculptures and artwork and drew overwhelming public opposition. The proposed triumphal arch would rise on the Virginia side of the Potomac River, between Arlington National Cemetery and the National Mall, at a traffic circle near the west end of the Arlington Memorial Bridge by Columbia Island and Lady Bird Johnson Park.

The commission had already granted preliminary approval at its April meeting, and Thursday’s vote sealed a modified version of the project. Commissioners said the proposal still omitted information about the sculptures and artwork planned for the arch’s interior and exterior panels. One commissioner said, “We’re looking at a well-designed arch, and it’s missing one of its key visual components.” The panel also asked about visitor capacity and soil conditions, underscoring how much of the project remains unresolved even after the design cleared the federal art review.

Public opposition remained stark. Thomas Luebke, the commission’s secretary, said the panel received about 600 written comments ahead of the final vote, with 99.5% opposing the project. At the April hearing, the commission had received nearly 1,000 comments, and every one was against the arch. The structure is modeled after the 164-foot Arc de Triomphe in Paris and is intended to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026 while honoring military veterans.

The approval does not end the larger legal fight. Trump said Thursday that he does not need approval from Congress because the land is owned by the Department of the Interior. But federal commemorative works in Washington generally require congressional authorization under the Commemorative Works Act when they are placed on land administered by the National Park Service or the General Services Administration. Veterans and historians have already filed suit, arguing that congressional approval is required and that the arch would disrupt views and increase traffic.

The commission’s decision also highlighted how much of the process now runs through Trump-appointed officials. NBC News reported that Trump replaced the previous members last year, and the White House installed a new chair, Chamberlain Harris, 26, who was appointed in February. The administration has not released an estimated cost for the arch, leaving funding, legal authority and final design details all unsettled as the project advances into what could become a defining test of executive power over Washington’s symbolic public spaces.