Donald Trump had a plan to make one of his vanity projects even more vulgar, according to a new book.
The 80-year-old president discussed with aides whether it would be feasible to add a giant fist atop the proposed 250-foot “Arc de Trump” monument in Washington, D.C.
The addition to the planned arch, which would be built across the Arlington Memorial Bridge from the Lincoln Memorial in the nation’s capital, was intended to represent the defiant pose Trump struck in the immediate aftermath of the assassination attempt against him in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024, according to Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump, a new book by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan.
“As the president showed off his models to a visitor one day in October, he puzzled over the details, including whether the arch should include a platform to take in the view,” Haberman and Swan wrote.
“Privately, he had also been asking confidants what he should have on top of the arch. Should it be, he mused, a large replica of his ‘Fight, fight, fight!’ fist?”
The detail appears in a passage describing how Trump had become “obsessed” with building the massive arch as part of his plans to remake Washington, D.C., in his gaudy style.
Those plans include tearing down the East Wing of the White House to make way for a $600 million ballroom, replacing the historic White House Rose Garden with a Mar-a-Lago-style patio, and adding his name to several buildings in the capital.
The book also notes that Trump wanted his arch to be larger than both the original Arc de Triomphe in France, which stands 162.5 feet tall, and the 200-foot Arch of Triumph in Pyongyang, North Korea, which was built to commemorate the 70th birthday of the totalitarian country’s founder, Kim Il Sung.
“At 250 feet, Donald Trump’s proposed arch would dwarf them both,” Haberman and Swan wrote.
Trump was so interested in whether an observation deck should be included atop the structure that he called French President Emmanuel Macron for his opinion.
According to the book, Trump rang Macron to ask him what the views were like from the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and whether people ever attempted to jump from it.
“We have a viewing deck? I don’t know. Could be dangerous. People throw bottles and s--t off it, right?” Trump asked Macron, according to the book.
“Do you think they’d throw bottles? Maybe we should have a viewing platform. You can see Arlington Cemetery, it’s a great view. I don’t know. It’s dangerous. You can jump off it,“ Trump added. ”What do you think, Emmanuel? Do people jump off it? No?”
Asked for comment by the Daily Beast, White House spokesman Davis Ingle told the Daily Beast: “The Triumphal Arch in Memorial Circle is going to be one of the most iconic landmarks not only in Washington, D.C., but throughout the world. It will enhance the visitor experience at Arlington National Cemetery for veterans, the families of the fallen, and all Americans alike, serving as a visual reminder of the noble sacrifices borne by so many American heroes throughout our 250 year history so we can enjoy our freedoms today.
“President Trump will continue to honor our veterans and give the greatest Nation on earth—America—the glory it deserves.”
