After Spending $250M on Ballroom, How Much Will the Arc de Trump Cost to Build?
President Donald Trump unveiled plans for a memorial arch dubbed "Arc de Trump" while fundraising for his $250M ballroom — how much will the memorial cost to build?
Oct. 17 2025, Published 3:25 p.m. ET
Donald Trump has big plans for his "Arc de Trump" — but how much will it cost?
At a fundraiser for his $250 million White House ballroom, President Donald Trump unveiled his plans for an arch similar to Paris' Arc de Triomphe to be built in Washington, D.C.
Holding up the 3-D model, Trump provided more details on the location and design of the project already dubbed "Arc de Trump."
The "Arc de Trump" will be located across from the Lincoln Memorial.
The arch, with a gold figure perched at the top, currently has a proposed location across from the Lincoln Memorial. The Arc de Trump will "serve as a gateway to Washington while entering via the Arlington Memorial Bridge from Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia," per USA Today.
“That's Arlington Memorial Bridge,” Trump explained. “And at the end of it, you have a circle that was built 150 years ago. You have two columns on one side, two columns on the other, yet in the middle, just a circle. And everyone in the past had said something was supposed to be built there. But a thing called the Civil War interfered. That's a good reason.”
So, how much will the Arc de Trump cost to build?
As expected, Trump did not share any details on the cost or who would pay for it. However, the $250 million ballroom project Trump is currently overseeing was privately funded by President Donald Trump and private donors.
CBS News reported that Lockheed Martin pledged more than $10 million, while other companies such as Google, R.J. Reynolds, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Palantir have also donated millions.
Trump went on to compare himself to past presidents including Truman and Roosevelt.
To justify his extensive "real estate" projects, Trump compared himself to past presidents who also initiated renovation projects at the White House while in office.
Those included James Monroe (South Portico), Andrew Jackson (North Portico), Theodore Roosevelt (West Wing), and Harry Truman (Truman Balcony).
Along with the ballroom, Trump also spearheaded the redesign of the White House Rose Garden.
It's no surprise that, given Trump's real estate background, he is busy making changes to the White House. Along with the $250 million ballroom, Trump also completely renovated the White House Rose Garden, which was established by Woodrow Wilson's wife in 1913, swapping out the grass for stone tiles.
"We call it the Rose Garden Club. And it’s a club for senators, for congresspeople and for people in Washington, and frankly, people that can bring peace and success to our country," Trump said at the first event in the new Rose Garden in September 2025.
Online, people are not happy about the "Arc de Trump," given the economy.
"To build a modern replica of France's Arc de Triomphe is estimated to be between $250 million and $820 million. WHY is Trump Blowing Through #Taxpayers MONEY," one person wrote on X before another added, "Why do megalomaniacs always build giant monuments? You don’t put rims on a rental, or custom cabinets in an Airbnb—and you sure don’t build a gold-plated Oval Office, billion-dollar jet, grand ballroom, and now an “Arc de Trump” if you actually plan on leaving in three years."
Yikes.
Trump hopes to have the Arc de Trump up for America's 250th anniversary.
The "Arc de Trump" would commemorate the country's 250th anniversary next year. However, it is not yet clear when construction will begin.
According to the BBC, it is not likely the arch will be built in time, as building a new memorial typically takes years, and the approval process alone would take at least a year."
"If federal law is followed... I have a hard time seeing how this arch will be designed, approved, and constructed by July 4 of next year," the source shared.