A hearing on concerns over Donald Trump’s plans to build himself a “triumphal arch” in D.C. descended into chaos as his appointees were heckled over the project’s “vanity” and “ugliness.”
“For those of you who are opposed to this project, I don’t think you help your case by heckling commissioners when they make their reasoned comments in response to the proposal that’s before us,” Will Scharf, the White House staff secretary who chairs the National Capital Planning Commission, told the hearing Thursday.
“I really don’t appreciate the heckling, but I’ll continue,” he added after being interrupted again just moments later.
The commission held Thursday’s meeting to address concerns among staff about the proposed structure and to hear just some of the almost 1,700 public comments on it. The New York Times noted that almost all of those comments were negative.
One member of the public slammed the arch as a “glorified, unnecessary and frankly gross vanity project” in their submission. Another said that “a triumphal arch is totally inconsistent with the American character.” Several comments used the word “ugly,” according to ABC News.
Some felt compelled to make their arguments in person. Marine veteran Jimi Shaughness, who says his family members have served in the military for more than 200 years, took issue with the proposed structure’s proximity to Arlington National Cemetery.
“Now, potentially, a gigantic arch will cast a shadow on my resting family, friends, and leathernecks, as vanity is rewarded with a momentous symbol of selfishness,” he said. “A 250-foot arch is a profound disruption and insult at the entrance to sacred ground.
Gary Langston, a fellow veteran whose parents are both buried at the cemetery, added that the project “must respect those interred there, their descendants, current and future generations.
“I think, ‘What does this arch look like in another 250 years?’” he went on. “The most important piece of this is whatever is done there should be a unifying factor for the country, and at present there are elements of the design of the arch that I fear won’t stand the test of time.”
The commission released a list of potential issues ahead of the hearing. These included pedestrian safety around the site, as well as possible disruption to air traffic over the capital and the concerns raised by Shaughnessy, Langston, and others about its impact on the military cemetery.
At the hearing, Scharf and other staff concluded by voting to approve some of those concerns for review and underscored that the motion did not constitute final approval. “I think the project team has some homework to do,” Sharf said. “I’ll note, for those present, that this is not our final review of the project. That will come at a later meeting.”
Trump himself appears to have completely misunderstood what the hearing was actually about. “A very big THANK YOU to the National Capital Planning Commission on the 8-1 approval of the Great Triumphal Arch to be built at the base of the Arlington Memorial Bridge, which has been waiting for this structure for over 200 years,” he posted on Truth Social later that evening.
The commission, again, did not vote to approve the arch but rather to list concerns about whether it is even feasible. It is also unclear what exactly Trump meant by the bridge “waiting for over 200 years,” given he first floated the project last October.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House and NCPC for comment on this story.
