«This would be small, medium, and large… I happen to think the large by far looks the best.»
In several sizes
During a recent fundraising dinner in the East Room of the White House, attended by about 130 guests including representatives from Amazon, Apple, Google’s parent company Alphabet, and Meta Platforms, as well as oil magnate Harold Hamm, Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman, and cryptocurrency entrepreneurs Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, Donald Trump presented a series of scale models of a monumental arch — displayed in several sizes — as he spoke to attendees.
A grand monument
The event, held to raise funds for the $250 million ballroom addition now under construction at the White House, drew attention when Trump described the models as his vision for a grand monument to mark America’s 250th anniversary, quickly nicknamed the «Arc de Trump».
The best
As Trump presented the three proposed versions of the arch — small, medium, and large — the president appeared to favor the most imposing one, stating, «This would be small, medium, and large… I happen to think the large by far looks the best,» a remark that seemed to subtly suggest the need for additional donations to realize it.
A new idea
While the dinner was meant to thank the billionaire donors for their generous contributions to the White House ballroom project, Trump used the occasion to pitch a new idea, a monumental arch reminiscent of Paris’s Arc de Triomphe, topped with a winged reinterpretation of the Statue of Liberty, effectively inviting his wealthy guests to open their wallets once again.
«Me»
According to the New York Times and CBS News, the nickname of the arch came when CBS News correspondent Ed O’Keefe asked who the arch was for. Trump replied: «Me. It’s going to be beautiful.»
Very polarized moment
The model was designed by Jason Montgomery, an architect and urban designer. According to the New York Times, he said the plan to build a triumphal arch for America’s 250th anniversary «seem reasonable,» but cautioned that it should represent all Americans in this «very polarized moment.»
Every American
He added that «every American… should feel that it’s speaking to their values,» warning that «it would be ironic if those values are not represented in this monument.»
A deeply divided America
Montgomery’s remarks, while measured, carried a clear undertone — a reminder that in a deeply divided America, a monument commissioned and promoted by Trump could easily become a personal or partisan symbol rather than a collective one, and that it would indeed be ironic if a project meant to celebrate liberty and unity ended up reflecting only one man’s vision of them.
In American history
It is, however, difficult not to see how such a project could avoid partisanship when it involves one of the most polarizing and politically divisive presidents in American history.