US panel approves Trump’s design for massive arch in Washington, DC

The proposed 76-metre arch would tower over other iconic landmarks in Washington, DC, and has attracted scrutiny.United States President Donald Trump’s goal of erecting a colossal arch in Washington, DC, has taken another step forward, with a key agency approving his proposed design for the monument.The US Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump, gave its go-ahead to the president’s design for a lofty 76-metre-high (250-foot) arch.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3US appeals court extends deadline to halt White House ballroom constructionlist 2 of 3Trump files emergency motion to continue building White House ballroomlist 3 of 3Trump to close Kennedy Center for renovations amid backlash from performersend of listIf given final approval, the arch would be built on Memorial Circle, between the Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial. It would tower above other landmarks in the national capital.White House spokesperson Davis Ingle hailed the commission’s approval as a “step in accomplishing President Trump’s promise to the American people from the campaign trail — to Make America Safe and Beautiful Again”.But the arch has faced criticism, including for potentially obscuring views of the national cemetery, a resting place for war veterans.Public Citizen Litigation Group is representing some Vietnam War veterans in a lawsuit against the proposed construction, which they argue needs congressional approval.Even the vice chair of the Commission of Fine Arts, James McCrery II, suggested that Trump’s proposed “Triumphal Arch” ditch the winged statue and eagles on its top. He also opposed the lions at its base, pointing out that African animals are “not a beast natural to the North American continent”.The enormous arch is another effort by the US president to leave his mark on the physical landscape of Washington, DC.In January, he told reporters he wants the arch to be the “biggest one of all”. The commission still needs to vote on final approval for the proposal after reviewing updated designs.Current plans show the arch would be significantly larger than the Lincoln Memorial, which is 99 feet (30 metres) tall, and about twice as tall as the famous Arc de Triomphe in Paris, which the design resembles.