Trump’s top arts commissioner details proposed triumphal arch in DC
Rodney Mims Cook Jr., Chairman of the US Commission of Fine Arts, details President Donald Trump’s vision for a 166-foot triumphant arch in Washington D.C. Cook clarifies the project’s scale, comparing it to Paris’s Arc de Triomphe, and discusses historical plans for multiple arches across the city. He shares personal involvement in previous similar projects and the construction timeline for such a monument.
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Democrats are offering rare praise to President Donald Trump as his push to revitalize Washington, D.C., ahead of the semiquincentennial brings neglected landmarks back to life through various restoration projects.
“Cannot believe it’s taken this long, but this truly makes me so incredibly happy to see,” wrote ActBlue communications strategist Carter Christensen on X in reaction to the Meridian Hill Park fountain flowing once again after years of neglect – one of a handful of social media messages celebrating the update.
Construction and landscaping projects across Washington, D.C., have accelerated in recent months as the nation prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday in July, and follow Trump’s larger effort to beautify the city and lower its crime trends.
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Democrats are commending Trump for recent Washington, D.C. restoration projects. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)
As city fountains turned back on earlier this week, Democrats offered praise to see the city snap back to life.
“Best thing this administration has done and it’s not even close,” vice president of liberal think tank, Searchlight Institute, Tré Easton said on X Tuesday.
The Meridian Hill Park fountain reopened at the end of April after repairs to cracks in the walls and a revamped landscape. The 13-basin cascading fountain, one of the longest in North America, had sat dry after the National Park Service closed the park’s lower level for renovations in 2020.
New fountains in Lafayette Park, located in downtown D.C., were also turned on for the first time.
“Can unequivocally say: all the fountains in the nation’s capital should work and I’m glad the Trump people got this done,” wrote another Democrat strategist on X.
“Credit where credit is due,” Trump critic and Substack author Anthony LaMesa posted to X on Tuesday. “The Trump administration is finally fixing fountains around Washington, DC that have been out of order for many years,” he added.
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Nine fountains are being rehabilitated and returned to service, while nine other operational fountains set to receive maintenance and system upgrades, according to the National Park Service.
“President Trump’s common sense efforts to make DC safe and beautiful again are so popular that even Democrats are publicly praising the President for these much-needed and long-overdue renovations,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital.
Democrats have scrutinized renovations at the White House, the re-naming of The Kennedy Center, and the construction of a new arch. (Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images)
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“Our nation’s capital will look more spectacular than ever before for America’s 250th birthday all thanks to President Trump!” Rogers added in comment to Fox News Digital.
Our nation’s capital will look more spectacular than ever before for America’s 250th birthday all thanks to President Trump. (White House)
President Trump requested a $10 billion Presidential Capital Stewardship Program in his 2027 budget. The funds would continue priority construction and rehabilitation projects in the Washington D.C. area.
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Trump has also pursued other high-profile changes tied to his broader vision for remaking the city, including White House renovations, the Trump-Kennedy Center name change and readying plans for installation of the Triumphal Arch — which have drawn Democratic scrutiny as the president’s “vanity” ventures.
