Bent on leaving his mark: Trump's proposed 'Triumphal Arch' sparks backlash

Home Shows Focus Video content Program Americas To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site. Cover image: FOCUS © FRANCE 24 05:13 Issued on: 05/11/2026 - 13:55 From the show Since his return to power, US President Donald Trump has been intent on reshaping the nation's capital Washington, seeking to leave his name and mark on it. After his involvement with the Kennedy Center, the White House ballroom and the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Trump is now particularly keen on building a 250-foot (79-metre) "Triumphal Arch" – a project he claims is intended to honour the 250th anniversary of the United States. Trump's critics, however, view the arch as a pointless monument, erected solely to serve his cult of personality. A project of this scale would typically require the approval of Congress, yet Trump appears determined to bypass lawmakers. The proposal is set to go before a federal commission one final time on November 5. FRANCE 24's Fanny Allard and Fraser Jackson report.