US President Donald Trump has praised India’s triumphal arch, India Gate, while reiterating his ambition to build what he says will be the “biggest” triumphal arch in Washington, DC, as part of a wider redevelopment of the US capital.
“A beautiful Indian triumphal arch. Ours will be the greatest of all!” Trump wrote on Truth Social on February 2, 2026.
‘The Greatest Of Them All’
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One a day earlier, Trump said he wanted the US capital to have “the greatest of all,” describing America as “the greatest and most powerful nation.”
“They wanted to build an arch for 200 years,” Trump said. “Nearly 57 cities around the world have triumphal arches, and Washington, DC—the only major city—still doesn’t.”
Work on the Arc de Triomphe in Washington is expected to begin soon.
The Arc de Trump plan is taking shape
Trump first floated the idea publicly in October 2025, proposing a triumphal arch opposite the Lincoln Memorial to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States next year.
The structure is called the “Arc de Trump” and a construction timeline has not been released.
Trump teased the project with architectural renderings shown during an Oval Office meeting.
Inspired by Paris, located by the Potomac
The proposed arch would be modeled on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and positioned to greet visitors entering Washington from Arlington National Cemetery as they cross the Memorial Bridge.
“Every time someone drives over that beautiful bridge to the Lincoln Memorial, they’re literally saying there’s got to be something here,” Trump told donors. “We have versions of it… This is a mockup.
The rendering shown on the Resolute Desk showed the Memorial Bridge, the Lincoln Memorial, and a model arch located on the Virginia side of the Potomac River. The final structure is expected to sit on federal land within the borders of Washington.
The reference to India was emphasized by the American envoy
Trump’s comments on India were echoed earlier by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, who mentioned Delhi’s India Gate during his arrival in India on January 12, 2026.
“Just yesterday I spoke with President Trump and I bring his warm wishes to all the people of India, especially to his dear friend, the incredible Prime Minister, His Excellency Prime Minister Modi,” Gor said.
“I just drove past the beautiful Gateway of India,” he added. “The president has started building a ballroom in the White House, but one of the other projects on his list is to build something like the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. And no offense to the French, but I think what we have here in Delhi might even surpass that.”
Part of a broader White House makeover
The Arc de Triomphe design is part of a broader second overhaul of Washington, including a gilding of the White House, the paving of the Rose Garden, the construction of a $250 million ballroom and the clearing of homeless encampments across the capital.
While plans for the arch are still evolving, Trump has repeatedly signaled that the memorial will be central to his vision for Washington as the country nears its 250th anniversary.
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