Public Launches Unprecedented Barrage Against Trump’s ‘Grotesque’ Arch

President Donald Trump’s proposed giant triumphal arch has sparked more than 100,000 public reactions, with many calling it “ostentatious,” “distorted,” “vulgar,” and “authoritarian.”

A new assessment by the National Park Service has revealed the scope of the project and the torrent of opposition it faces, as the 80-year-old president attempts to reshape Washington according to his vision.

Among the most vehement objections is the project’s impact on Arlington National Cemetery, a sacred burial ground for soldiers who have fallen in battle throughout American history.

One woman warned the 250-foot arch would “desecrate the solemnity of the Arlington Cemetery as a hallowed place of repose for those military members and their families.”

Another criticized the fact that triumphal arches symbolize victory and conquest, while the Lincoln-Arlington Trail symbolizes “service and sacrifice.”

One commentator exclaimed, “Stop this ridiculous attack on America! We don’t need an Arc de Triomphe, a ceremonial hall, or any of the other monuments he’s proposing to feed his ego. No! No! No!”

But perhaps the most damning assessment came from the government itself.

In a new report, the National Park Service concluded that the project would have “negative impacts” on numerous historic sites due to changes in space, land use, vegetation, and vistas.

The damage would be particularly concentrated around Memorial Plaza, where the Arc de Triomphe would be built near the cemetery on one side and the Lincoln Memorial on the other.

But the project would also affect the National Mall, the Capitol Building, the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, the historic Georgetown district, the former Naval Observatory, Key Bridge, and the National Cathedral, according to the report.

The 133-page assessment also makes clear that the Arch is more like a building, with five levels, an exterior spanning 9,812 square feet, and an observation deck situated 160 feet above the ground.

Visitors will access the top via elevators and spiral staircases after passing through airport-style security.

However, the structure’s imposing height makes it visible from Arlington National Cemetery, where approximately 30 funerals are held daily.

What’s more, the project would require foundations drilled about 71 feet into the ground, where the NPS admits there is a “moderate to high sensitivity” for intact archaeological resources. Those resources could include buried landscapes dating back to 10,000 B.C.

Despite all this, Trump remains determined to complete his project.

Just as Napoleon Bonaparte had the Arc de Triomphe and the Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang the Great Wall, Trump has long wanted to erect his own colossal monument in the capital, as a legacy.

The idea is modeled on the iconic arch in Paris, but would dwarf that version, which is only 164 feet tall.

According to the recent book “Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump,” written by New York Times journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, Trump initially considered adding a giant raised fist to the top of the monument.

The book suggests that this fist would have symbolized his resolve after the assassination attempt against him in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2014.

The president was so fascinated by the observation platform that, according to the book, he called French President Emmanuel Macron for advice.

He reportedly asked Macron, “Do you think they’re going to throw bottles? Maybe we should build an observation platform.”

Trump added, “You can see Arlington Cemetery. The view is magnificent. I don’t know. It’s dangerous. We could jump. What do you think, Emmanuel? Do people jump from there? No?”

The president unveiled the project last October at a dinner honoring the billionaires who had donated to the White House ballroom.

When asked who the platform would be for, Trump replied without hesitation, “For me.”