And Donald redesigns the symbols of American power
It should be ready in 2026, on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence
It is with irony, often with a hint of sarcasm, that the confirmation of the forthcoming construction in Washington of an Arc de Triomphe, modelled on the one in Paris, has been received from many quarters. A monument that, precisely because of this, has already been promptly renamed 'Arc de Trump', instead of 'Arc de Triomphe'.
To understand this project, however, one has to put it in a broader context.
Indeed, since his arrival in the White House, Trump has clearly shown his desire to redesign the symbols of US power.
First of all, as soon as he took possession of the presidential residence, he redecorated it, making extensive use - as he claimed - of 24-carat gold. The previous absence of 'dorures', however, was no accident. His 18th-century predecessors, in fact, had wanted the palace of a president of the Republic to be different from those of European kings, where there was an abundance of gold (just think of Versailles, where even the roofs were gilded to dazzle those who came there). An element not shared by Trump, who, indeed, has repeatedly admitted his fascination with the symbols and traditions of the British monarchy.
A much contested choice was to demolish the East Wing, the wing of the White House designated for the First Ladies, to build a vast ballroom. In this way, whoever succeeds him in the years to come cannot fail to confront his legacy. Trump, after all, comes from a family of real estate developers and knows well the power of the language of space.
