I Won!

ADAM KINZINGER published the following post. Check out his excellent blog.

As you no doubt have heard by now, Donald Trump wants to place a 250-foot gilded triumphal arch between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.

Triumphal arches traditionally commemorate military victory. There is just one problem: Trump is pushing ahead with the triumphal arch while losing a war.

Trump unveiled the idea more than four months before the United States and Israel attacked Iran. At a White House dinner, he displayed three models. He liked the biggest one the best and called it “really beautiful” and “fantastic.”

When a reporter asked whom the arch was for, Trump pointed to himself and said, “Me.” Kudos to Trump for his honesty.

Though the war with Iran wasn’t the reason for the arch, the war has made the arch more ridiculous than it already was. Trump understands what the structure is supposed to mean. It’s called a triumphal arch because a triumph is supposed to have occurred.

The arch comes after the victory. But Trump, as usual, wants the branding before he achieves the result. He does this all the time. At his golf clubs, Trump has made himself the champion of tournaments that never even took place.

Trump claimed the 2018 championship at his West Palm Beach club even though he hadn’t played in the tournament. In 2023, after missing the first round of a senior club championship, he counted a round he had played two days earlier and announced that he had won. Owning the course has certain advantages.

The same impulse produced the fake Time magazine cover displayed at several Trump properties.

Then there was the infamous FIFA Peace Prize, which Trump—its first recipient—was given in 2025. FIFA president Gianni Infantino presented him with a gold medal and a large gold trophy. It’s still unclear what the FIFA Peace Prize is or what Trump did to earn it.

If Trump could win a million more of these fake prizes and awards, that wouldn’t be enough. He doesn’t see recognition as what you get after you achieve something. For him, the recognition is the whole point. Actually, accomplishing something is a waste of time if you can get recognized without doing the hard work.

 By Adam Kinzinger

Rodger Malcolm Mitchell