Proposed 'Arc D. Trump' Monument Next to Lincoln Memorial Seen in White House Photos

The Barbarian · May 22, 2026

Servus said:
So have you been protesting against eagles your whole life or just recently?

Ben Franklin was. Sorry for the confusion. I just noted that whoever made the illustration Trump posted of himself as a golden king with people kneeling before him, used what looks like the Nazi eagle.

The Barbarian · May 22, 2026

Servus said:
I've heard the founding fathers considered the turkey as the national bird.

Franklin praised the turkey, but stopped short of advocating it as the national bird.
The story about Benjamin Franklin wanting the National Bird to be a turkey is just a myth. This false story began due to a letter Franklin wrote to his daughter criticizing the original eagle design for the Great Seal, saying that it looked more like a turkey. In the letter, Franklin wrote that the “Bald Eagle...is a Bird of bad moral Character. He does not get his Living honestly…[he] is too lazy to fish for himself.”

About the turkey, Franklin wrote that in comparison to the bald eagle, the turkey is “a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America...He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage.” So, although Benjamin Franklin defended the honor of the turkey against the bald eagle, he did not propose it become one of America’s most important symbols.

Did Benjamin Franklin Want the National Bird To Be A Turkey?

The story about Benjamin Franklin wanting the National Bird to be a turkey is just a myth. This false story began due to a letter Franklin wrote to his daughter criticizing the original eagle design for the Great Seal, saying that it looked more like a turkey. In the letter, Franklin wrote that...

fi.edu

Trump is clearly more eagle than turkey, at least by Franklin's analysis.

Servus · May 22, 2026

The Barbarian said:
Ben Franklin was. Sorry for the confusion. I just noted that whoever made the illustration Trump posted of himself as a golden king with people kneeling before him, used what looks like the Nazi eagle.

A Nazi eagle carries a swastika. That's what defines it as such. Otherwise you can claim the insignia for a US army colonel is a Nazi eagle. Along with innumerable other United States symbols and emblems bearing eagles. If you're going to call eagles on the arch Nazi, you're going to have to include all of the the rest used to represent America.

The Barbarian · May 23, 2026

Servus said:
A Nazi eagle carries a swastika.

I can't imagine why the guy who made that picture would delete the swastika. Actually, I can.

Servus said:
Otherwise you can claim the insignia for a US army colonel is a Nazi eagle.

Different design. The US eagle is not on Trump's throne.

Servus · May 23, 2026

The Barbarian said:
I can't imagine why the guy who made that picture would delete the swastika. Actually, I can.

Different design. The US eagle is not on Trump's throne.

Most US eagles are of European origin. Mostly Roman.

I asked Gemini AI what type of eagle symbol is this?

Answer:

This is a stylized golden eagle symbol that is heavily inspired by or directly represents a Roman Eagle (Aquila) or a modern adaptation of it used in pop culture and historical fiction.

Here is a breakdown of its design elements and likely origins:

Key Design Features

The Silhouette: It features straight, outspread wings with distinct, stylized feathers, a prominent textured chest, and flared tail feathers.
The Framing: The eagle is mounted on a dark crimson or purple background and framed by a detailed, ornate gold border. This color scheme (gold on deep red/purple) is classically associated with Roman imperial authority (Senatus Populusque Romanus / SPQR).

Most Likely Origins

1. Historical & Architectural Inspiration (Ancient Rome) In ancient Rome, the Aquila was the ultimate symbol of a Roman legion. This specific aesthetic—with the blocky, horizontal upper wings and ornate framing—is frequently used in modern architecture, government buildings, and historical films to evoke a sense of empire, law, and monumental authority.

2. Pop Culture & Gaming (Fiction) Because this exact image looks like a prop or a digital asset from a set, it strongly resembles fictional imperial iconography:

Warhammer 40,000: It shares a massive resemblance to the early or simplified designs of the Aquila (the symbol of the Imperium of Man), though the traditional Warhammer Aquila typically features two heads. Single-headed variants exist in-lore for specific sub-factions or historical eras.
Historical Strategy Games: It closely matches the UI art, menu framing, or faction banners found in grand strategy games like Total War: Rome, Crusader Kings, or Civilization.

The Barbarian · May 23, 2026

Servus said:
This is a stylized golden eagle symbol that is heavily inspired by or directly represents a Roman Eagle (Aquila)

Like some other European heraldic eagles, the Reichsadler is derived from the Roman standards, the Aquila.

Reichsadler - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The difference is the Nazi Reichsadler had a swastika. Which Trump's people deleted for obvious reasons.

durangodawood · May 23, 2026

"Triumphal" arch feels like the kind of thing a nation in decline needs to get excited about.

Its embarrassing, really. But possibly appropriate.

Goonie · May 23, 2026

In memory of how France helped, the monument should be metric, 1776mm.

Pommer · May 23, 2026

The Mercury dime had a fasces on the reverse, this got axed (ironically enough) when the Roosevelt dime came on the scene.

Mercury dime - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The Barbarian · May 23, 2026

Goonie said:
In memory of how France helped, the monument should be metric, 1776mm.

That would be a bit less than 6 feet tall.

The Barbarian · May 23, 2026

Pommer said:
The Mercury dime had a fasces on the reverse, this got axed (ironically enough) when the Roosevelt dime came on the scene.

The fasces was also a Roman design. Nazis freely borrowed from Roman culture. \

Goonie · May 23, 2026

The Barbarian said:
That would be a bit less than 6 feet tall.

Your right we'll have 250mm instead.

Servus · May 23, 2026

The Barbarian said:
Like some other European heraldic eagles, the Reichsadler is derived from the Roman standards, the Aquila.

Reichsadler - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The difference is the Nazi Reichsadler had a swastika. Which Trump's people deleted for obvious reasons.

The Reichsadler (German pronunciation: [ˈʁaɪ̯çsˌʔaːdlɐ] ⓘ, "Imperial Eagle") is the heraldic eagle, derived from the Roman eagle standard, used by the Holy Roman Emperors, later by the Emperors of Austria.

Servus · May 23, 2026

durangodawood said:
"Triumphal" arch feels like the kind of thing a nation in decline needs to get excited about.

Its embarrassing, really. But possibly appropriate.

Does that include those in other military cemeteries like this one?

Desk trauma · May 23, 2026

The Barbarian said:
That would be a bit less than 6 feet tall.

The Barbarian · May 23, 2026

Servus said:
The Reichsadler (German pronunciation: [ˈʁaɪ̯çsˌʔaːdlɐ] ⓘ, "Imperial Eagle") is the heraldic eagle, derived from the Roman eagle standard, used by the Holy Roman Emperors, later by the Emperors of Austria.

The Nazi Reichsadler, or Imperial Eagle, was a symbol used by Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945, featuring an eagle holding a swastika in its talons. This emblem was derived from earlier heraldic traditions but became closely associated with the Nazi regime and its ideologies.

Goonie · May 23, 2026

Servus said:
Does that include those in other military cemeteries like this one?

Nice entranceway. Building a monumental arch to commemorate the Revolution, is not objectionable. Building it out of all proportion is.

Servus · May 23, 2026

The Barbarian said:
The Nazi Reichsadler, or Imperial Eagle, was a symbol used by Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945, featuring an eagle holding a swastika in its talons. This emblem was derived from earlier heraldic traditions but became closely associated with the Nazi regime and its ideologies.
View attachment 379680

That's not the eagle that appears in renderings of the arch. From the OP:

Another version:

Or this eagle at Arlington which matches the ones in the OP image.

Servus · May 23, 2026

Goonie said:
Nice entranceway. Building a monumental arch to commemorate the Revolution, is not objectionable. Building it out of all proportion is.

You mean it's too tall like the Washington Monument, which is twice as tall?

The Barbarian · May 23, 2026

Goonie said:
Nice entranceway. Building a monumental arch to commemorate the Revolution, is not objectionable. Building it out of all proportion is.

It's kind of a tradition for some political leaders.

,,

Proposed 'Arc D. Trump' Monument Next to Lincoln Memorial Seen in White House Photos

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Key Design Features​

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