Trump's Trials - Could Trump's arch get moved elsewhere?

Episode Date: August 7, 2026

This week, the National Park Service released a document listing 37 historic properties that it says would be adversely affected by the construction of an arch in Memorial Circle, a traffic roundabout just below Arlington National Cemetery. NPR's Rachel Treisman reports.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

It's Trump's terms from NPR. I'm Scott Detrow. Every episode, we bring you a story from NPR's recent coverage of the 47th president, with a focus on ways he's using power like no president before him. Here is the latest from NPR. I'm Lela Falded. President Trump's plan for a giant arch in Washington, D.C., is facing criticism from a federal agency. Trump wants to build it across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial.

The National Park Service says that would obstruct the views of dozens of nearby historic sites. NPR's Rachel Treisman reports. The Trump administration has been talking about building an arch in this particular spot since last fall. This monumental arc will beam at 250 feet tall in honor of 250 years. That's White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt, showing designs to reporters back in April. And stand on ground that is currently empty green space in Memorial Circle, on Columbia Island, a man-main island in the Potomac River, managed by the National Park Service. For many, it's the location that's the problem.

Anything that we built there would be controversial. Especially the Arch, says Ed Sterly. He leads government relations for the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association. But I think what makes this so controversial is the pure scale of it. We're talking about one of the largest monuments to ever be built in Washington, D.C. At 250 feet tall, the arch would be more than double the height of the Lincoln Memorial. It's gotten considerable pushback from historic preservation groups, veterans, and concerned citizens. And a report released by the National Park Service this week underscores those concerns.

It lists 37 sites whose historic significance would be disrupted by the arch, including the Capitol Building and the Washington Monument. It's going to have a tremendous impact, you know, not just on Arlington National Cemetery. but the entire national mall and the landscape of D.C. There are other places in D.C. where a giant arch would have a smaller footprint, says Greg Workheiser. His law firm Cultural Heritage Partners is involved in several lawsuits against the Trump administration's construction projects. But he says, location hasn't really been a part of the conversation. They skipped over real consideration of alternatives and just went to what arguably is the most

concentrated collection of important historic sites in the country. The White House and the Department of the Interior didn't directly answer NPR's questions about whether alternate locations were explored. But the administration is defending Memorial Circle as a fitting place for the arch and celebrating the idea that it would be visible from other historic sites. It's as if the president is saying, only if I jam my arch between Arlington Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial and make it tower over everything else. in the city, will it be noticed? One person did propose an alternative, David Maloney, D.C.'s State Historic Preservation Officer.

In a June letter to the National Park Service, Maloney suggested the arch could be built in Anacostia, a less developed part of D.C. He said an arch there would, quote, enhance the city's monumental landscape rather than detracting from it. I think had he chosen an alternative, not only would some of the folks who are opponents now not be opponents, but I think they would be supporters. Sterly says conversations about new monuments in D.C. typically start with the question of where to put them. But that wasn't the case with the Arch.

He said the federally required review process, which is called Section 106, is happening very quickly and with little input from outside experts. It only started after a federal panel had already approved the Arch's design in May. This continues to move forward. It feels like more of a box checking than an actual legitimate.

process. And he worries that will be the norm going forward. A federal panel packed with Trump allies voted last month to weaken Section 106. Those changes, if enacted, would make it easier for the federal government to build near historic sites, with implications for the arch and other places across the country. Rachel Treisman, NPR News. Before we wrap up a reminder, you can find more coverage of the Trump administration on the NPR Politics. podcast where you can hear NPR's political reporters break down the day's biggest political news with new episodes every weekday afternoon. And thanks, as always, to our NPR Plus supporters who hear every episode of the show without

sponsor messages. You can learn more at plus.npr.org. I'm Scott Detrow. Thanks for listening to Trump's terms from NPR.