250-Foot Independence Arch Proposal Faces Review (Full Transcript)

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: President Trump wants to build an arch, he wants it to be the biggest, and he wants it to be right here. The proposed Independence Arch is 250 feet tall to mark the country's 250th anniversary. That's the equivalent of a 16 to 20 story building. The size and scope have raised some concerns. Approaching planes are flying past at about 492 feet, leaving very little room for error. The Federal Aviation Administration is going to have to study this along with other key reviews in the coming months. It would also obstruct a historically significant view between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House at Arlington National Cemetery. That was the former home to Confederate leader Robert E. Lee, and according to the National Park Service, the bridge between these two memorials is a physical and symbolic link between the North and South. It would be 30 feet bigger than the world's largest monumental arch in Mexico City, and about 100 feet taller than Paris' Larc de Triomphe. Smaller options were presented, but a source familiar with the plans tells me that Trump is dead set on this size. It'll be substantial. I'd like it to be the biggest one of all.