A towering 250-foot triumphal arch topped with a 60-foot statue of Lady Liberty would obstruct views from Arlington House and dozens of other beloved American landmarks, according to a National Park Service review that critics say could stall one of President Donald Trump’s most ambitious memorial projects.
The NPS assessment found that Trump’s proposed arch on Arlington Memorial Bridge would adversely impact approximately 37 historic sites across Washington, D.C., and its surrounding suburbs. The review, conducted June 5-15, wasn’t closed for public comment until last week, raising questions about the timing and transparency of the federal agency’s evaluation process.
Among the sites the NPS claims would be affected are some of the most sacred and iconic locations in the nation’s capital: Arlington National Cemetery, the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the U.S. Capitol, and the National Mall itself.
The planned structure would feature a 166-foot mezzanine and a 24-foot observation level, giving Americans an elevated view of the monuments honoring the nation’s founding and its fallen heroes. The crowning feature would be a 60-foot Lady Liberty statue, a symbol that has welcomed millions of immigrants to America’s shores and represents the freedoms enshrined in the Constitution.
Inside Arlington National Cemetery, the review specifically cited Arlington House as a location that would suffer obstructed views. The historic home, which once belonged to Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s family and overlooks row upon row of American military graves, currently offers sweeping vistas of the capital city.
Other sites flagged in the assessment include the Lyndon B. Johnson Memorial Grove, the Pentagon, and the George Mason Memorial.
President Trump first proposed the triumphal arch last year as a monument to American greatness and liberty. Triumphal arches have long been used throughout Western civilization to celebrate victories and honor national achievements, from the Arc de Triomphe in Paris to the ancient arches of Rome.
The Arlington Memorial Bridge, where the arch would be located, already serves as a symbolic connector between the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall and Arlington National Cemetery across the Potomac River in Virginia. The bridge itself was designed to represent the reunification of North and South following the Civil War.
Supporters of the arch project argue that new monuments have always faced resistance from federal bureaucracies and preservation groups, yet many have gone on to become beloved additions to the national landscape. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the World War II Memorial, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial all faced significant opposition before their eventual construction and dedication.
