There it is, folks, the latest episode in the saga of Donald Trump: the architectural visionary. With a flair for the dramatic and a touch of the audacious, he has signed an executive order to ensure federal public buildings embrace classical architecture once again. Now, whether you’re a fan of neoclassical columns or not, it’s hard to deny the charm of buildings that remind us of ancient Rome or the Parthenon. This could be Trump’s way of making America, or at least its buildings, great again.
Modern architecture in Washington, D.C., has certainly taken some hits. There are buildings that seem to borrow more from sci-fi movies than they do from traditional design. Take, for instance, the Department of Education and the Department of Labor. These true bastions of the brutalist school of thought resemble concrete bunkers—or as some might humorously suggest, cardboard boxes that have sat too long in the rain. Their aesthetic is often referred to as “anti-human,” which doesn’t exactly scream welcoming, now does it?
But the pièce de résistance of modern architectural criticism is reserved for Barack Obama’s Presidential Center in Chicago, which some have cheekily compared to the Death Star from Star Wars. Others have contributed their own colorful metaphors, likening it to a gargantuan concrete porta-potty. With comments like these, it might just go down as the most “craptastic” contribution to Chicago’s skyline. Trump’s vision to steer away from modern monstrosities could be seen as a breath of fresh, if predictably ostentatious, air.
Enter Trump’s latest audacious proposal: a triumphal arch, or Arc de Triomphe, in Arlington, Virginia. This grandiose idea literally positions Trump alongside great Roman emperors—or so he hopes. He plans to place it strategically between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial, the latter being a symbol of a president who would blush at the very notion of such self-celebration. Yet, Trump seems unfazed by irony, proposing this as a commemoration for America’s 250th birthday, with a not-so-subtle nod to himself as the subject of honor.
Adding this triumphal arch to Washington’s landscape could, in Trump’s eyes, restore some lost aesthetic glory. America, he declares, shouldn’t be outdone by other countries with their majestic arches and monuments. It appears that in Trump’s America, beauty and power go hand in hand. With grand plans to transform D.C. into a haven of classical design, Trump envisions a capital deserving of praise—not just from Americans but from around the world. While opinions may be split on the necessity and intent of such an order, it undeniably adds yet another colorful chapter to the ever-unfolding Trump narrative.
