Trump's Trials - Trump-appointed commission approves Trump's 250ft DC arch

Episode Date: May 22, 2026

The Commission of Fine Arts has given a design for a massive arch in Washington, D.C. its final approval, even though it's missing some visual components. NPR's Rachel Treisman reports. Support NPR and hear every episode of Trump's Terms sponsor-free with NPR+. Sign up 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

I'm Scott Detrow, and this is Trump's terms from NPR. Every episode, we bring you one story from NPR's coverage of the Trump administration with the focus on actions and policies that take the presidency into uncharted territory. Here's the latest from NPR. I'm Lela Faldon. A federal agency has approved a final design of President Trump's 250-foot arch. NPR's Rachel Treasman reports. The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, whose seven members,

members were all appointed by the president, suggested changes to the arch when it gave preliminary approval last month. Lead architect Nicholas Charbonneau said Thursday that his team made some of those changes, like replacing the proposed pedestrian tunnel with crosswalks. But it's keeping the 84-foot golden statues of Lady Liberty and two eagles up top. The president considered the commission's suggestion to look at the arch without the sculptural fingers on the roof, but alleged not to pursue session option. Commissioners listened at a long table covered in miniature models showing the arch in its proposed location, a traffic circle across the Potomac River from the National Mall. They had few questions for the architect, namely, what kinds of artwork would go on its blank walls.

Here's architect James McCrary II, the commission's vice chair. We're looking at a well-designed arch, and it's missing, you know, it's one of the key visual components. Even without those details, and after over an hour, of public pushback, the commission gave its final approval sooner than expected. This is supposed to be concept approval, and they've moved to full, which means there's not another hearing on the arch here at CFA. That's Rebecca Miller, Executive Director of the D.C. Preservation League, who spoke out at the meeting. So it's really disappointing for the public, especially when you have the majority of

commenters in opposition to this. The meeting had a full audience, some of whom shared their concerns on the microphone. The commission secretary said about 600 others submitted written comments in advance, all but three of which opposed the arch. The most widespread concerns focused on the structure's scale, tone, and location. Activist Susan Douglas put it this way. Building this gaudy arch in a location that will overpower everything in its midst and interrupt the historically significant view between Lincoln Memorial and the Arlington National Cemetery is an affront to, our history and to the men and women who gave their lives in service to our country, as well as to those who remember them. The commissioners said many of the public's concerns fall beyond their

scope. The National Capital Planning Commission, also packed with Trump allies, will discuss the arch at its meeting in June. Rachel Treisman, NPR News. And before we wrap up, a thank you to our NPR Plus supporters who hear each show without sponsored messages, and of course, who help protect independent journalism. If you are not a supporter yet, you can visit plus.npr.org to find out how you can get a ton of podcast perks across dozens of NPR shows, like bonus episodes, exclusive merchandise, and more. Again, that's plus.npr.org. I'm Scott Detrow. Thanks for listening to Trump's Terms from NPR.