Overview

• Photos taken Oct. 9 showed a scale model of an Arc de Triomphe–style monument on the Resolute Desk positioned on a map at Memorial Circle across the Potomac from the Lincoln Memorial.
• Early Oct. 11, the president posted an artist’s rendering on Truth Social depicting the same arch topped by a golden winged figure and flanked by two eagles.
• The design aligns with a September concept by Harrison Design partner Nicolas Leo Charbonneau promoting an America250 arch at the Memorial Circle site.
• The Washington Post has reported that National Civic Art Society president Justin Shubow pitched the idea to the president, though the White House has not announced authorization, funding, contractors, or a timeline.
• Architects and commentators warn the arch could disrupt the symbolic Lincoln–Arlington axis and potentially obscure views such as JFK’s eternal flame, with social media drawing contentious historical comparisons.