US President Donald Trump wants to leave his mark on the nation's capital by building a Parisian-style arch west of the Lincoln Memorial, the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.
Trump unveiled the plan during a White House dinner on Wednesday for wealthy businessmen who have pledged to contribute money for the $250 million investment to add a grand ballroom to the presidential residence. Trump did not specify the cost of the arch.
"It's going to be really beautiful," the Republican president said. "I think it will be fantastic."
Many presidents and first families have tried to leave their mark on the White House, and Trump is already doing so with many of the design and construction changes he has made to the property, perhaps most notably by transforming the Rose Garden into a stone-paved patio.
But the arch goes far beyond the White House, giving Trump the opportunity to leave another lasting monument in a city known for them. It would expand on his earlier talk of beautifying the city by replacing the "tired" grass, broken signs and dividing islands on the streets, the AP points out.
Trump seems to be taking inspiration from the French.
The proposed arch bears a striking resemblance to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the famous monument at the end of the Champs-Élysées that honors those who fought for France during the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars.
The military parade held in Washington earlier this year to mark the 250th anniversary of the army was inspired by a similar event that Trump witnessed eight years ago as a guest of French President Emmanuel Macron on the famous Parisian boulevard.
The White House did not immediately respond to an emailed request for more information about the arch, including a timeline for its completion.
Local firm "Harrison Design" is working on the project, according to a post by Trump on social media over the weekend. A company representative did not respond to an emailed request for comment.
It is unclear whether the White House has presented the proposal to the National Capital Planning Commission, which is responsible for planning and placing monuments, memorials and statues in the city. The commission's offices are closed during the government shutdown, the AP reports.
John Bolton, Donald Trump's former national security adviser, has been charged, CNN reported, citing two sources, Reuters reported.
The charge is the third in recent weeks that the Justice Department has brought criminal charges against one of the Republican president's critics, Reuters reports.
The charge comes after court documents made public last month revealed that Bolton was the subject of a federal investigation for potential mishandling of classified information. CNN did not specify what Bolton is accused of.
Bolton's lawyer previously denied that his confidant had committed any wrongdoing.
Trump, who campaigned on a promise of revenge after facing a series of legal troubles after his first term in the White House ended in 2021, has abandoned decades of regulations designed to protect federal law enforcement agencies from political pressure, Reuters notes.
In recent months, he has actively pressured Attorney General Pam Bondi to bring charges against people perceived as his opponents, even firing a prosecutor he said had moved too slowly in this direction.
Panama President Jose Raul Mulino said someone at the U.S. Embassy has threatened to revoke visas for Panamanian officials as the Trump administration pressures Panama to limit its ties with China, The Associated Press reported.
In response to a question during his weekly news conference, Mulino said, without providing evidence, that a U.S. embassy official was "threatening to revoke visas," adding that such actions were "not consistent with the good relations I seek to maintain with the United States." He did not name the official.
The U.S. Ambassador to Panama, Kevin Marino Cabrera, said in a statement that "a visa is a privilege, not a right."
He cited a U.S. policy announced in September by the State Department to restrict visas for Central American nationals who act on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party to undermine the rule of law in the region. "We revoke and deny visas in accordance with our laws and regulations, regardless of the individual's occupation or position in government."
But in September, the U.S. State Department said in a statement that the United States was committed to countering China's influence in Central America and would restrict visas for people who maintain ties to the Chinese Communist Party or undermine democracy in the region on behalf of China.
Earlier this week, the Trump administration revoked the visas of six foreigners who U.S. officials said made derisive comments or made light of the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last month.
Similar cases have occurred recently in the region. In April, former Costa Rican president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oscar Arias said the United States had revoked his visa. In July, Vanessa Castro, vice president of the Costa Rican Congress, said the U.S. embassy had told her the U.S. had revoked her visa, citing alleged contacts with the Chinese Communist Party.
Panama is particularly sensitive to U.S.-China tensions because of the strategic importance of the Panama Canal.