By Elif Gultekin Karahacioglu
WASHINGTON (AA) - As America’s 250th anniversary approaches this July 4, US President Donald Trump is pushing for a massive arch to be built near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on a weekend trip to Florida, Trump said that “for 200 years they’ve wanted to build” an arch, though historians dispute the claim, as before the 20th century the US capital was not the developed city that it is today.
“They almost built something in 1902, but it never happened,” he told reporters, adding that Washington is one of the few major cities worldwide without such an arch, reported ABC News.
The proposed arch would be located near the Arlington Memorial Bridge over the Potomac River, connecting Washington to the state of Virginia.
US media reports say Trump wants a structure about 250 feet (76 meters) tall, which would dwarf Paris’s iconic Arc de Triomphe.
Experts said such a monument could overshadow both the Lincoln Memorial and the White House.
A “peace arch” in Washington had been proposed in 2000 but was abandoned after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Historians say Washington’s early development focused on practical infrastructure rather than grand arches.
Architectural critics and preservationists said the massive arch could disrupt views from the National Mall and the capital’s historic character.
Supporters say a striking gateway monument tied to America’s 250th anniversary would enhance the capital.
Trump’s emphasis on the project aligns with the White House’s vision of reviving classical architectural heritage.
Trump, a longtime real estate developer, is known for his fondness for large, high-profile projects that he can call his own, such as the controversial $400 million White House East Wing ballroom project and the Board of Peace, which some say is meant to replace the decades-old United Nations.