Grand designs for 'Arc de Trump' unveiled amid mounting controversy

Designs for the so-called "Arc de Trump," which US President Donald Trump intends to have erected in Washington, were unveiled on Friday, sparking widespread controversy and even prompting a group of US military veterans and a historian to file a lawsuit with the US District Court for the District of Columbia, seeking to halt its construction.

US Representative Don Beyer, a Democrat from Virginia, slammed the proposals in a social media post, saying Trump is fixated on a taxpayer-funded vanity project while Americans worry about the skyrocketing living costs and endless wars.

"This isn't about America's 250th or honoring our veterans. It's about Donald Trump's ego – and we're going to stop it," he said.

US officials formally submitted detailed renderings of the 250-foot (76-meter) "Triumphal Arch" ‌ahead of a meeting to advance the project that Trump has touted for months.

The pictures show an ivory-colored arch modeled on the Roman Arch of Titus from classical antiquity and resembling the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

The monument requires approval from the Commission of Fine Arts, which is set to review plans next week. The commission is made up of members personally selected by the president.

Trump put forward a proposal in early February to build a massive arch near the Lincoln Memorial to commemorate the 250th anniversary of US independence.