What we know about White House plans for an ‘Arc de Trump’

US President Donald Trump wants to build a triumphal arch in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, the latest achievement in his efforts to transform the capital in his own style.

The so-called Trump Arch will mark the country's 250th anniversary next year and is reportedly privately funded by Trump supporters.

A real estate developer by trade, Trump shared the plans last week, unveiling renderings of the structure being planned during a meeting in the Oval Office.

His other developments during his second term included the gilded appearance of the White House, the paving of the Rose Garden, and the construction 2 dollars50 m ballroomas well as clearing camps for the homeless throughout the capital.

It's not unusual for a sitting president or first lady to renovate the White House, but Trump appears to be aiming for a more far-reaching and highly visible development with the new monument.

The president wants the arch to be based on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France, and greet people entering the nation's capital from Arlington National Cemetery as they cross the Memorial Bridge.

“Every time someone drives over this beautiful bridge to the Lincoln Memorial, they literally say there must be something here. We have versions of this… This is a mock-up,” Trump told donors Wednesday night, referring to the green circular area at the end of the bridge.

At a dinner to unveil his plans for the ballroom, Trump said there were three versions of the arch—small, medium and large—but he liked the largest one best.

Trump said the ballroom project is “fully funded” and some of the remaining money will be used to fund the arch.

When construction will begin and how much it will cost is still unknown.

Last week, Trump displayed a rendering of the structure on his Resolute Desk, showing a map of the Memorial Bridge that also included a replica of the Lincoln Memorial. A model of his proposed arch stood on the banks of the Potomac River in Virginia.

On Saturday, Trump posted an illustration of the plan, designed by Harrison Design architect Nicolas Leo Charbonneau, on Truth Social.

Charbonneau, partner at Harrison Design, published a watercolor image of the September 4 social media proposal with the caption “America needs an Arc de Triomphe!”

According to Axios, Trump has built models and dioramas for other projects he is considering and has directed how and where new marble tile floors will be installed in the White House.

He also received world leaders, including President of Finland Alexander StubbIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a delegation of Florida lawmakers are touring the White House to show them its changes, some of which reflect the aesthetic of his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

In September, he inaugurated the President's Walk of Fame along the West Wing Colonnade, displaying gold-framed portraits of himself and 44 other presidents along a white exterior wall.

Instead of a photo of former President Joe Biden, Trump hung a photo of a fountain pen with his signature. The move appears to refer to Trump's claim that Biden's use of the fountain pen signaled his decline at the end of his presidency, although US presidents routinely use such a tool.

Critics, including a New York Times guest essayist, called his Oval Office renovation a “gilded rococo nightmare.”

The White House did not immediately respond to the BBC's request for further comment on Wednesday.