Triumphal Arch offers latest grotesque avatar of Trumpian hubris

France’s Arc de Triomphe was constructed in honor of the many dedicated French revolutionaries who gave their lives to their nations’ historic revolution in 1789. The French peasant population, overwhelmed by their poverty and disgusted by the opulence of those that governed them, rose up and destroyed the aristocracy that subjected them to poverty for nearly a millenia. Considering this, it’s rather laughable that the Arc was cited to be the inspiration for Donald Trump’s proposed United States Triumphal Arch. There is something particularly ironic about a man who has spent his entire time in office doing favors for the American aristocracy claiming to have been moved and inspired by such a powerful symbol of class struggle. Today, the American working class faces one of the bleakest futures it has ever seen in recent history. 49% of American families lack the resources to cover essential living expenses, per a report from Urban Institute. The median age of first-time homebuyers has leapt from 30 to 40 in the last 16 years, and in the last 20, the average price of a home has doubled. Instead of addressing the growing poverty rates, the White House has devoted its resources to a brutish war, which has done little other than claim civilian lives and drive up gas prices at home, adding additional strain to the already struggling working class. America’s overinflated military is practically the only leg it has to stand on, and as a result, it’s limped through the past several decades and fallen behind other, more domestically prosperous countries. What exactly does America have to be “triumphant” about? Or is this proposed monument just another example of this administration lying through their teeth about just how much we’re “winning!”?

This $100 million structure, which would be located in Washington D.C., in front of Arlington National Cemetery and intended to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, has received immense criticism and legal pushback regarding its construction. The Commission of Fine Arts has given it preliminary approval, but construction of the arch is currently blocked due to pending lawsuits from three Vietnam War veterans. These veterans argue that the arch lacks congressional approval and disrespects the nearly 430,000 people buried there. The lawyer representing the three veterans, Wendy Liu, stated in an interview with 9News that “the thought of being buried in the shadow of what the veterans have described as a vainglorious arch is profoundly disrespectful.” While recent staffing cuts to the VA, disruptions to benefits (and in the case of transgender veterans, outright removal of those benefits), as well as other less-than-respectable actions have proven that this administration has higher priorities than honoring and supporting those who served this country, the pending lawsuit still puts necessary pressure on the federal government. Now, the administration is being forced to answer: What’s more valuable? Respecting the resting place of almost half a million dead Americans, or flaunting American wealth in an attempt to upstage the rest of the world? Ultimately, it’s clear what the Trump regime values, and their attempt to construct this arch is just one of many examples of this administration’s misplaced priorities. At the end of the day, this is no more different than the Director of the FBI partying with the men’s Olympic Hockey Team whilst the biggest sex-trafficking scandal in history is coming undone, or the attempt to construct a $400 million ballroom in addition to the White House while over 771,000 Americans sleep on the street each night. This administration will always prioritize opulence and grandeur—whether Americans can afford to put a roof over their head is an afterthought. If the Arc de Triomphe is a symbol of France’s triumph over its aristocracy, then the U.S. Triumphal Arch is a symbol of the ruling class’s ongoing abuse of the American people, who can only pray for their own eventual triumph.

Now, the question of how to approach the concept of celebrating 250 years of American independence is particularly tricky. Every one of those 250 years has been marked by some morally reprehensible action, whether it be land theft, slavery, imperialism or any other awful abuse of humanity, and for Americans who acknowledge that fact, celebrating their country and its independence evokes an odd feeling of guilt. However, in spite of the weight of America’s shameful past, the upcoming anniversary is not undeserving of celebration. For the last 250 years, there have been countless incredible Americans who—despite living in such an inherently flawed, often unjust nation—have managed to do incredible things. To say that America has created nothing of worth in its 250 years of independence would be to disregard the efforts of the Frederick Douglasses, the Helen Kellers, the Martin Luther King Juniors, and the countless other dedicated, good people born on its soil. However, the unfortunate truth is that most of those who’ve been eager to celebrate America’s upcoming anniversary are only eager to satisfy their fantasies of national supremacy and grandeur. Few proponents of the America250 campaign, if any, are particularly eager to acknowledge the many shameful misdeeds that made this country what it is today; most just seem to be happy that it’s such a big, even number. That’s why the administration seeks to celebrate it with a 250 foot tall waste of taxpayer money that’s slated to tower over the resting places of individuals that gave their lives to their country. This upcoming July, keep in mind that America itself is not deserving of celebration—the American people are. If the people in this country loved Americans half as much as they loved “America,” it would be in a much, much different place.

by Veronica Holladay

Published May 26, 2026

Oshkosh West Index Volume 122 Issue VIII