Senator Tammy Duckworth is urging the FAA to block President Trump's proposed 259-foot 'Triumphful Arch' near Arlington Cemetery, citing grave aviation safety risks to Reagan National Airport's congested airspace. Duckworth calls the taxpayer-funded structure a 'vanity project' that desecrates a historic sightline, a view shared by a group of veterans who are suing to stop its construction.
Triumphful Arch aviation safety concerns
- ▪The proposed taxpayer-funded "Triumphful Arch" would be 259 feet tall, potentially creating flight complications for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
- ▪The White House has referred to President Donald Trump's proposed structure as a "victory arch."
- ▪The arch would be located near Arlington National Cemetery and is designed to resemble the Arc de Triomphe in Paris with gold angels on top
Trump architectural projects in DC
- ▪President Trump's other projects include demolishing the White House's East wing for a ballroom and repainting the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool
- ▪The "Triumphful Arch" is one of several architectural projects President Donald Trump has proposed or started in Washington, D.C.
Duckworth FAA rejection letter
- ▪Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth urged the Federal Aviation Administration to reject President Donald Trump's "Triumphful Arch" plan
- ▪In a letter to the FAA, Duckworth, a ranking member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, called the arch a "vanity project."
Arlington Cemetery sightline controversy
- ▪A group of veterans is suing to block the arch proposal, arguing it would obstruct the "historically significant view" between Arlington Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial
- ▪Senator Tammy Duckworth, a veteran, stated the arch would desecrate Arlington National Cemetery's symbolism by destroying a historic sightline representing post-Civil War unity
Reagan Airport crash context
- ▪The January 2025 crash was the deadliest domestic air crash since 2009, prompting ongoing FAA safety enhancements at Reagan airport
- ▪In late January 2025, a collision between an army helicopter and a commercial plane near Reagan airport killed 67 people
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