# Federal Planning Panel Approves Trump's 250-Foot Triumphal Arch on an 8-4 Vote, Clearing the Way for Construction, Fox News Reports

Fox News says the National Capital Planning Commission voted 8-4 on Thursday to approve the granite arch near the Memorial Bridge. Administration officials say work could begin this week. Preservationists, lawmakers and veterans object, and some question whether Congress must approve it.

- Section: [Politics](https://rightnewsrightnow.com/politics/)
- Published: 2026-11-06
- By: RightNewsRightNow Staff
- Canonical page: https://rightnewsrightnow.com/articles/trump-triumphal-arch-approved-national-capital-planning-commission-8-4-vote-paoletta-250-feet-memorial-bridge-fox-news/

A federal planning commission has approved President Donald Trump's proposed triumphal arch, Fox News reports, and construction could start within days.

The vote. The National Capital Planning Commission voted 8-4 on Thursday after a public hearing, Fox says. The structure would stand 250 feet tall and is modeled on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. It is meant to draw visitors crossing the Memorial Bridge from Arlington National Cemetery into the capital. Administration officials told Fox that building could begin as soon as this week.

The case for it. Commission chairman Mark Paoletta, a Trump appointee who is also general counsel of the Office of Management and Budget, said the president "understands as president and a superb builder that it's important to our national identity to display who we are through grand monuments." He added that, as Trump often says, "the great cities around the world have arches: Paris, Rome, London." Fox also links to a column by Sen. Jim Banks calling the arch a monument to American greatness. We did not read that column.

The design. Fox says the arch would be clad in granite and topped with three golden statues. The report also recalls Trump's earlier statement that the complex would be able to deploy large numbers of drones quickly, with snipers on the roof and plaza and "large quantities of sniper ammunition" stored on site.

The objections. Fox says preservationists, lawmakers and veterans argue the arch could disrupt views of the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. Opponents also question whether federal law requires congressional approval. The commission had already approved the site and preliminary plans.

Why it matters here. This is one of several building projects the White House has pushed since the midterms. We cannot tell from the report whether a court challenge is planned. The question of congressional approval is open, and a Democratic House takes office in January.

What we could not check. We did not see the commission's record, the design drawings or any legal filing. Fox's headline says Arlington, while its text places the arch in downtown Washington near the bridge, so we cannot say exactly where it will stand. Fox reports the 8-4 vote but does not name the four who voted no, and it carries no reply from the opponents it describes.

## Source

Original reporting: [Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trumps-massive-arlington-triumphal-arch-approved-construction-federal-planning-commission)