Staff Reports
Leaked photos from the Oval Office show a scale model of a massive triumphal arch sitting on President Trump’s desk, and Washington’s political class is already losing their minds. The images, captured by journalists and widely circulated, make clear this is more than a fanciful doodle — senior aides and outside architects have been discussing a real plan.
The proposed site is Memorial Circle near the Arlington Memorial Bridge, directly across from the Lincoln Memorial, and the mock-up features soaring classical lines, twin eagles, and a gilded angel crowning the top. Photos and renderings attributed to a D.C. architect show the scale and symbolism Trump’s team clearly wants: a bold, unapologetic statement of national pride in the heart of the capital.
Let’s be honest — what some call grandiose others call magnificent. This arch is being pitched as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebration in 2026, a once-in-a-generation chance to give the Mall a monument that honors our history and projects strength to the world. If conservatives finally get to dictate aesthetics in the capital, classical beauty and civic dignity are the right place to start.
Predictably, the usual suspects in the media and on the left are hysterical, scoffing at anything that isn’t minimalist concrete or trendy conceptual art. They call it wasteful and narcissistic, as if their reflexive outrage is news — but this is about reclaiming public space for national pride, not about pleasing coastal elites.
This push for monuments and classical architecture tracks exactly with the administration’s broader direction: restoring traditional civic aesthetics and promoting American heroes rather than ceding public memory to partisan revisionism. The same agenda that directed reviews of federal depictions of history and advanced a national garden celebrating American figures reflects a cohesive vision, not chaos.
Officials have reportedly debated whether the arch would be temporary for the 250th celebration or made permanent, which is a sensible conversation — permanence ensures future generations inherit a capital that reflects real American greatness, not the fads of a moment. Cost and logistics will be discussed, as they should, but let’s not pretend bold public works are inherently corrupt or illegitimate when they elevate the nation.
If you love this country, you should welcome monuments that celebrate its story and its heroes. Conservatives should rally behind an America-forward vision for Washington, D.C., and stop letting the left set the terms for what counts as public honor. Build the arch, make it grand, and let patriots everywhere see their values carved in stone.
