Trump Says Scaffolding Coming Down From Regilded Arts of War Statues

Trump announces workers are removing scaffolding from the newly regilded Arts of War sculptures near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, capping a restoration of the gilded equestrian monuments.

First Published: July 27, 2026, 3:50 PM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald J. Trump said workers are removing the scaffolding around the freshly regilded Arts of War sculptures, the gilded equestrian monuments that flank the entrance to the Arlington Memorial Bridge in Washington.

The announcement, delivered on Trump’s truthsocial account, arrived with four photographs of a gleaming gold statue wrapped in metal scaffolding as a hard-hatted worker stood on a wooden platform beside it. Trump framed the news as the finishing step of a restoration effort, not a construction project.

Trump offered no cost figure, timeline, or contractor for the work in the post. He instead cast the removal of the scaffolding as a visible marker of completion.

Here is the full post on truthsocial: “Taking down the scaffolding around the regilded Arts of War sculptures!” on July 27, 2026 at 7:30 PM ET.

This is one of many messages released by Trump today. On average, Trump produces roughly 15 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025.

The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 27 of his 468 posts over the last 30 days focused on the topic of Culture.

The Arts of War comprise two gilded bronze equestrian groups, Valor and Sacrifice, positioned at the western end of the Arlington Memorial Bridge near the Lincoln Memorial. The sculptor Leo Friedlander designed the works, which were installed in 1951 as a gift from Italy. The regilding restores the reflective gold surface that had dulled over decades of exposure to weather along the Potomac River.

Workers remove scaffolding from the Arts of War statue at the Arlington Memorial Bridge in Washington D.C. on 07/27/2026.

Dismantling scaffolding around a monument follows a controlled sequence, according to unitedscaffold.ca. Crews begin at the top, removing non-load-bearing guardrails and planks before lowering the main support structure piece by piece rather than dropping components, according to unitedscaffold.ca. A pre-dismantling safety check confirms the structure is no longer in use and clears the site of hazards before the work starts.

The restoration matters to the public that uses the corridor. The Arts of War sculptures sit at one of the most photographed gateways in the capital, crossed by tourists, commuters, and visitors to Arlington National Cemetery. A completed regilding returns the monuments to full public view and removes the visual obstruction of scaffolding at a national landmark.

This has happened before. Federal monuments in Washington undergo periodic conservation, and scaffolding has repeatedly encased landmarks during repairs, including the Washington Monument, which stood wrapped for restoration after earthquake damage in 2011. Restorations of gilded and bronze works require reapplication of protective surfaces as the elements wear them down.

No agency has announced a formal ceremony or a date tied to the completion of the scaffolding removal. Trump’s post served as the public signal that the work is nearing its end.

Gilded monuments have long marked the ambitions of the nations that raise them, as happened before. The regilding of the Statue of Freedom atop the U.S. Capitol dome required its removal by helicopter in 1993, its first descent since installation in 1863, before conservators restored the bronze and returned it to its perch. That effort, completed for the building’s bicentennial, showed how a single restored monument can become a stage for the leaders who preside over its unveiling.