“A very big thank you to the National Capital Planning Commission for approving, with 8 votes in favor and 1 against, the Grand Triumphal Arch that will rise at the base of the Arlington Memorial Bridge, a work that has been awaited for over 200 years. Once completed, it will undoubtedly be the greatest arch of all!” This is what US President Donald Trump writes on the social media platform Truth. The announcement of the green light comes after months of controversy and opposing stances expressed by a wide array of critics, including veterans’ associations concerned about the invasiveness of the monumental work that will end up obstructing the view between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
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On June 4, the US president also announced the construction of a promenade at the Lincoln Memorial. “They want to call it Trump Promenade, but I don’t know if I want to do that, it will be beautiful anyway,” Trump told reporters at the White House, without specifying who had asked to name it after him.
Reflecting Pool, filling begins
On the same day, the president also announced the start of the gradual filling with water of the recently renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. During an event at the White House, Trump showed a video in which water could be seen gushing into the freshly repainted basin at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial. The live video showed water accumulating in the center of the basin, with workers and trucks still inside the pool. The Trump administration states that the pool has been painted “American flag blue”. In this case too, the renovation work was accompanied by heavy controversy: the cost is estimated between 1.5 and 2 million dollars, but records show contracts worth 14.8 million dollars.
Critics argue that Trump is focusing too much on personal projects. The latest announcements by the US president are part of a broader building program aimed at reshaping Washington’s monumental core. The presidential building program, in addition to the construction of a 250-foot (76-meter) high triumphal arch, includes the already initiated construction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom on the site of the East Wing of the White House, demolished in recent weeks.
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The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, United States, June 1, 2026. A federal judge has ruled that the name of US President Donald Trump must be removed from the building after it was christened “The Donald J Trump and John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts”. EPA/WILL OLIVER
Kennedy Center, removal of the “Trumpified” sign begins
Among the presidential initiatives that have caused controversy is the decision to add his name – Trump – to the sign of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, usually referred to as the Kennedy Center, a performing arts center located on the Potomac River, adjacent to the Watergate complex in Washington. In recent days, the leaders of the cultural institution were forced to order staff to remove the president’s name from the center’s sign to comply with a federal court ruling. Last December, Trump had added his name – before Kennedy’s – to the facade of the white marble building, prompting a lawsuit from Ohio Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty, a member of the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees.
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