Independence Arch, or "Arc de Trump," plans include taxpayer funds

Politics Independence Arch, or so-called "Arc de Trump," plans include taxpayer funds By Kathryn Watson Kathryn Watson Politics Reporter Kathryn Watson is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C. Read Full Bio Kathryn Watson April 9, 2026 / 1:28 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Washington — American taxpayers will help fund the construction of President Trump's planned triumphal arch in Arlington, Virginia, according to the spending plan for the National Endowment for the Humanities released by the administration this week. According to the endowment's spending plan approved by the Office of Management and Budget in September, $2 million in special initiative funds and $13 million in matching funds "are reserved for the arch." NEH, an independent federal agency, often funds projects through a combination of federal dollars and matching private contributions. NOTUS first reported that taxpayer funds are expected to be used for the arch. It's not yet clear what private funds may go toward Independence Arch, though the president previously indicated that leftover private funds from his White House ballroom addition could be used. The White House has not yet disclosed an estimated cost for the arch. The president has said the massive ballroom he's building at the White House at a cost of $300 million to $400 million will be funded entirely by private donors, in contrast to the arch.OMB and NEH did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The president says the arch will commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary, and he's previously displayed a model in the Oval Office. The renderings and model show an arc resembling France's Arc de Triomphe sitting across from the Lincoln Memorial on the Virginia side of the Potomac River by Washington, D.C. The president said he wants the arch to be the "biggest one of all" in the world, even though the proposed site is situated along a flight path for nearby Reagan...