By NIKKI SCHWAB, CHIEF CAMPAIGN CORRESPONDENT

Published: 15:36 GMT, 1 January 2026 | Updated: 15:37 GMT, 1 January 2026

President Donald Trump on Wednesday divulged details about two projects he's looking forward to in the new year. 

In a phone interview with Politico, Trump said construction on the 'Triumphal Arch' - nicknamed the 'Arc de Trump' - will begin shortly. 

'It hasn't started yet. It starts sometime in the next two months. It'll be great. Everyone loves it,' the president said from his Mar-a-Lago resort. 

'They love the ballroom too. But they love the Triumphal Arch,' he added. 

The arch, which will resemble the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, is to be constructed on the Virginia side of the Potomac River in the center of a pre-existing traffic circle. 

It hasn't faced as much red tape as Trump's ballroom, which has become part of a legal battle with the National Trust for Historic Preservation after the president knocked down the White House's East Wing without any government oversight.

The 'Triumphal Arch' will be constructed to mark the country's 250th birthday, with festivities kicking off in Washington, D.C., Wednesday night with a light show projected onto all four sides of the Washington Monument. 

Another way Trump plans to mark the country's Semiquincentennial is with Ultimate Fighting Championship fights on the White House's South Lawn. That event will mark his birthday, too. 

President Donald Trump on Wednesday divulged more details about the UFC fight he planned to host at the White House and the 'Triumph Arch' being constructed in Washington. He attended a UFC fight in November 2024 (left) and held up models of the arch in October (right)

A model of the 'Triumphal Arch,' which has also been nicknamed the 'Arc de Trump' was captured sitting on the Resolute Desk of the Oval Office in October 

He told Politico the date of the UFC fights will be June 14th - the day he turns 80. 

He said 'many matches, like 10,' will take place on the White House grounds. 

Trump said it would be up to his longtime friend, UFC President Dana White, who would be picking who's fighting.

'Well, Dana's picking them. He's the best fight-picker there is, right?' Trump said. 'He's going to pick all of the top fighters. Going to be all championship matches. It'll be the best ever, I think. Really incredible.'

Trump's hands-on approach to projects like planning the UFC fight and the 'Triumphal Arch' is atypical for presidents, who are usually swamped with more policy-heavy agenda items.