Trump's Washington Arch Plan Gets Revised After Commission Pushes Height Cuts

WASHINGTON (PulseWire) — President Donald Trump’s proposed 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington is undergoing significant revisions after the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts pushed for major design changes. The agency, which approved the concept in April, is set to vote on updated plans this Thursday with recommendations that could reshape the monument.The commission’s vice chairman, architect James McCrery II, proposed removing the Lady Liberty-like figure holding the top torch, two eagles, and four gilded lions guarding the base—elements that would reduce the arch’s height by nearly 80 feet. McCrery cited concerns that the original design would 'dominate the skyline' and called the lions 'not a beast natural to the North American continent.' Critics, including thousands of public commenters, argued the 250-foot structure would tower over existing monuments, dwarfing the Lincoln Memorial’s 99-foot height and approaching half the Washington Monument’s 555-foot stature.The changes come as a federal lawsuit filed by veterans and historians seeks to block construction, claiming the arch would disrupt the historic sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday afternoon, adding pressure to the Commission’s deliberation. Meanwhile, Trump’s administration maintains Washington is the only major Western capital without such a monument, with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum defending the project.Preliminary site surveys began last week, but legal challenges and design revisions have cast doubt on timelines. The controversy extends to Trump’s plan to repaint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool blue for the July 4 celebration—also facing a court challenge for allegedly bypassing preservation laws.PulseWire is crowdsourcing eyewitness reports from the Commission meeting. Share updates using #PulseWire. Verify facts through our interactive map and social media feed—tagged #ArchRevisions.}