Sen. Tammy Duckworth urges FAA to block Trump's proposed triumphal arch

Senator Tammy Duckworth sent a letter to Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Bryan Bedford urging the agency to resist any pressure from President Donald Trump to prioritize construction of a 250‑foot (76‑meter) triumphal arch in Washington, D.C. The arch, intended to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary, would be more than twice as tall as the Lincoln Memorial and would stand near the airspace of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Duckworth cited safety concerns, noting that a U.S. Army helicopter collided with a commercial jet at the same airport last year, killing 67 people. She warned that the arch could become an obstruction and quoted her statement that the president’s aides were “already improperly pressuring FAA to prioritize rubber‑stamping Trump’s vanity arch over public safety.” Duckworth also raised the arch’s impact on the historic sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The FAA said a preliminary feasibility study found no adverse operational impacts but pledged to conduct a full study in coordination with the National Park Service, adding that the structure’s top would need red obstruction lights.