WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Trump advanced a proposal in 2026 for a 250-foot tall "Independence Arch" in Washington, D.C., which received approval from the Commission of Fine Arts. The approval occurred despite concerns regarding public review and competition procedures for memorial proposals.

Trump nominated every member of the seven-person Commission of Fine Arts, including Rodney Mims Cook, Jr., to lead the agency. Cook voted to approve the arch project on April 16, 2026. On the same date, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum introduced architect Nicolas Charbonneau to the Commission as the "lead designer on this project."

The President showed designs for an arch at Memorial Circle made by Harrison Design. In October 2025, Trump displayed drawings of arches featuring Lady Liberty and two grey birds to donors at the White House. The drawings included Harrison Design's logo. Trump said, "Small, medium and large." He added, "I happen to think the large one's more fun."

In April 2025, design critic Catesby Leigh proposed building an arch in Washington, D.C., on a conservative think tank's website. Leigh suggested the arch commemorate the country's 250th birthday and included two sketches, one from Charbonneau and another from an organization led by Cook. Leigh wrote, "And let's hope President Trump mandates an Independence Arch that shows them the way." Charbonneau posted a sketch of the arch to Instagram that month. In September 2025, Charbonneau posted a sketch of a taller arch with a golden Lady Liberty and two birds on top, stating the studio had "created a proposal for a triumphal arch along the axis of Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial."

The proposed arch is 250 feet tall, including its sculptures on top, and would be more than twice as tall as the Lincoln Memorial. Memorial Circle is federal land managed by the National Park Service, which has been obtaining permissions for the arch. No widely-advertised, open competition occurred for the selection of Harrison Design. Federal laws typically require memorial proposals to undergo review by stakeholders and Congress.

Trump indicated that the standard process was not needed. "We're the only important and major city that doesn't have one, we don't have a triumphal arch," Trump said on May 1, 2026. He also stated, "We don't need anything from Congress."

Charles Birnbaum, a landscape architect and founder of The Cultural Landscape Foundation, observed the absence of public process. "It's a small little club of people that have a fairly narrow lens for what they're interested in," Birnbaum said. Only one of Trump's selections for the Commission was trained in architecture. Chamberlain Harris, a Trump appointee and former White House aide, stated, "To be consistent with other Western capitals that have arches, I would just urge my fellow commissioners to move forward with the concept approval of this project."