Trump: approved Arc de Triomphe in Washington, it will be the biggest of all
The announcement of the go-ahead comes after months of controversy and opposition from a wide array of critics, including veterans' associations concerned about the invasiveness of the monumental work that will eventually obstruct the view between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery
"A big thank you to the National Capital Planning Commission for approving, by 8 votes to 1, the Big Triumphal Arch that will rise at the base of the Arlington Memorial Bridge, a work that has been waiting for over 200 years. Once completed, it will undoubtedly be the greatest arch of all!". This is what US President Donald Trump wrote on social media site Truth. The announcement of the go-ahead comes after months of controversy and opposition from a wide range of critics, including veterans' associations concerned about the invasiveness of the monumental work that will eventually obstruct the view between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
On 4 June, the US president also announced the construction of a walkway over the Lincoln Memorial. "They want to call it Trump Promenade, but I don't know if I want to do that, anyway it will be beautiful," Trump told reporters at the White House, without specifying who had asked for it to be named after him.
Reflecting Pool, start filling
On the same day, the president also announced the start of the gradual filling with water of the newly refurbished Reflecting Pool of the Lincoln Memorial. Indeed, during an event at the White House, Trump showed a video in which water could be seen gushing into the newly repainted pool at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial. The live video showed the water pooling in the middle of the pool, with workers and trucks still inside the pool. The Trump administration claims the pool was painted "American flag blue". Again, the renovation was accompanied by heavy controversy: the cost is estimated at between $1.5 and $2 million, but records show contracts worth $14.8 million.
Critics argue that Trump is focusing too much on personal projects. The US president's latest announcements are part of a broader building programme aimed at remodelling Washington's monumental city centre. The presidential building programme, in addition to the construction of a 250-foot-tall (76-metre-high) triumphal arch, includes the construction (already underway) of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom on the site of the East Wing of the White House, demolished in recent weeks.
Kennedy Center, start removal of 'Trumpised' sign
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 centre located on the Potomac River adjacent to the Watergate complex in Washington. In recent days, senior management of the cultural institution were forced to order staff to remove the president's name from the centre's sign to comply with a federal court ruling. Last December, Trump had his own name added - before Kennedy's - to the white marble facade of the building, prompting a lawsuit by Ohio Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty, a member of the Kennedy Center's board of directors.
