Panel Gives First Approval to Trump's Arch but Wants Tweaks

A federal design panel gave preliminary backing to President Trump's plan for a 250-foot commemorative arch in Washington on Thursday, even as public feedback is running overwhelmingly against the project and members suggested changes of their own. The Commission of Fine Arts voted to advance an early version of the project, the Washington Post reports, which Trump wants to place at Memorial Circle near Arlington National Cemetery to mark the nation's 250th birthday. The approval is not final: Commissioners asked architect Nicolas Charbonneau to return later with revisions.

The seven commissioners were all appointed by Trump and include Chamberlain Harris, a 26-year-old former executive assistant to Trump who has no arts background, per NPR. They largely endorsed the concept but debated the details. James McCrery II suggested removing three golden statues planned for the top of the arch, which would reduce its height from 250 to about 166 feet, saying, "I wonder if you need those up there." He also questioned the use of lion figures, noting they are not native to North America, per the Post.

The commission also approved the design concepts for a plan to paint the gray granite exterior of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and for a new underground facility to conduct security screenings of White House tourists and other guests, per the AP. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum presented the arch proposal, defending it on architectural, city planning, and beautification grounds. Opposition has come from military veterans concerned about the impact on cemetery views and from Democrats who say a monument of this scale requires an act of Congress. During the public hearing Thursday, speakers warned that a large triumphal arch would alter a corridor long treated as a subdued approach to Arlington. The commission received roughly 1,000 public comments on the proposal, and all opposed it, said the panel's secretary, Thomas Luebke.