Trump's 'Great Triumphal Arch' Breaks Ground Before Federal Approval

Excavation for President Donald Trump's controversial 'Great Triumphal Arch' is set to begin within two weeks, despite the project lacking final approval from the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC). Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced the timeline on X on Thursday, September 3, a month before the NCPC's next scheduled review on October 1. The NCPC preliminarily approved the project on July 9 but raised concerns, primarily about the arch's 250-foot height, which would violate the 130-foot cap imposed by the 1910 Height of Buildings Act and obstruct sightlines of dozens of historical landmarks. The arch, to be located on Memorial Circle near Arlington National Cemetery, will be clad in white granite, feature a 'Military Observation Deck', and be topped by statues of two gold eagles and a golden winged figure. Presented as a marker of the country's 250th anniversary, Trump has also dedicated the monument, dubbed the 'Arc de Trump' by critics, to himself. Burgum praised the project as 'one of the Great Pieces of American Architecture,' honoring Arlington Cemetery and befitting the capital.