President Donald Trump officially unveiled his plans for a grand triumphal arch in the nation's capital during a White House donor dinner on Wednesday evening. The ambitious architectural project, already being dubbed the "Arc de Trump" by observers, is designed to honor America's upcoming 250th birthday celebration in 2026. Trump presented the proposal while expressing gratitude to wealthy contributors who are helping fund his long-desired White House ballroom renovation project.
The proposed monument draws clear inspiration from Paris's iconic Arc de Triomphe, featuring a similar classical design with distinctly American elements. Trump displayed three different-sized models of the arch during the East Room dinner, with the design showcasing two majestic eagles and a golden Statue of Liberty positioned atop the structure. The president made no secret of his preference, joking with the assembled donors about favoring the largest version of the three proposed sizes.
The strategic location chosen for the arch would place it directly across from the Lincoln Memorial, positioned over a traffic circle that serves as a major gateway for visitors entering Washington D.C. from Virginia via the Arlington Memorial Bridge. Trump explained the historical significance of the location to his audience, noting that the site has long been intended for a commemorative structure. "That's Arlington Memorial Bridge. And at the end of it, you have a circle that was built 150 years ago," Trump told the dinner attendees. "In fact, they put a couple of columns on each side. You have two columns on one side, two columns on the other, but yet, in the middle, just a circle. And everyone in the past had said something was supposed to be built there. That's true. But a thing called the Civil War interfered. That's a good reason."
The project first gained public attention last week when photographs of the architectural model were spotted on Trump's Oval Office desk during multiple occasions. According to reports, the plans were initially presented to the president earlier this year, and he responded with immediate enthusiasm for the concept. The design has been attributed to Nicolas Charbonneau, an architect at Harrison Design, a firm that specializes in high-end residential architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture.
Charbonneau himself promoted the concept on social media platform X, posting images of the arch design with an enthusiastic endorsement. "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!" he wrote in his post last month, helping to generate buzz around the ambitious project.
While Trump expressed clear excitement about the monument during Wednesday's presentation, he provided no specific details regarding the project's estimated cost or proposed timeline for construction. The president's focus during the dinner remained split between promoting the arch proposal and acknowledging the generous contributions being made toward his separate White House ballroom initiative.
The ballroom project itself represents a significant undertaking, with Trump revealing it will cost approximately $200 million and encompass 90,000 square feet of space. The president has long advocated for the addition of a proper ballroom to the White House, arguing that the executive mansion needs adequate facilities to host state dinners and properly receive foreign dignitaries. "For all those years, they wanted it, and now they're going to get it, and because of you, they're going to get it. And me too; we're all in this together," Trump said of the ballroom project.
The guest list for Wednesday's donor dinner read like a who's who of American business and technology leadership. Attendees included high-level representatives from major corporations such as Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Meta Platforms, Alphabet's Google, Apple, Amazon, and Palantir Technologies. The gathering also featured prominent individual donors, including oil magnate Harold Hamm, Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman, and cryptocurrency billionaire twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss.
Trump's enthusiasm for both projects was evident throughout the evening, as he praised the generosity of his supporters while painting a vision of enhanced American grandeur. Regarding the substantial donations being made, he noted with characteristic directness: "I have so many friends, and so many of you have been really, really generous. I mean, a couple of you here saying, 'Sir, would $25 million be appropriate?' I said, 'I'll take it.'"
Both the triumphal arch and ballroom projects represent Trump's continued interest in leaving lasting architectural legacies that reflect his vision of American greatness. While the ballroom addresses practical needs for White House operations, the proposed arch would serve as a permanent monument visible to millions of visitors to the nation's capital, strategically positioned at one of Washington D.C.'s most prominent and historically significant locations.
