Trump showcases regilding of “Valor” statue at Arlington Memorial Bridge
Trump the president posted photos of the iconic Arts of War equestrian sculpture surrounded by scaffolding as workers apply fresh gold to the 1951 monument in Washington, D.C.
WHITE HOUSE — Donald Trump highlighted the complete regilding of the “Valor” statue, one of the Arts of War sculptures at Arlington Memorial Bridge, on a Truth Social post on July 5, 2026 at 11:08 AM EST.
Here is the full post on truthsocial (see truthsocial): “The statue “Valor” — one of the Arts of War statues — being completely regilded!”
The post included four photos showing the monumental gilded equestrian statue wrapped in metal pipe scaffolding, with protective sheeting and wooden planking visible around its base. The gold leaf appears freshly applied, with a brilliant, even finish across the entire sculpture. Markings on the scaffolding reference OSHA safety standards, indicating a federally compliant restoration effort.
“Valor” is one of two Art Deco equestrian sculptures created by American artist Leo Friedlander that frame the eastern entrance to Arlington Memorial Bridge, facing the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. (see wikipedia.org). The companion statue is titled “Sacrifice.” The pair were commissioned in 1929 but not cast until 1950 due to budget constraints and delays caused by World War II (see wikipedia.org). They were erected and unveiled by President Harry Truman on Sept. 26, 1951.
The statues stand 17 feet tall atop granite pedestals and were originally gilded with more than 100 pounds of 24-carat gold using the mercury fire-gilding process (see alamy.com). The sculptures are contributing properties to the East and West Potomac Parks Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places on Nov. 30, 1973 (see wikipedia.org). Together with “The Arts of Peace” sculptures by James Earle Fraser on the opposite side of the circle, they form a ceremonial gateway between Arlington National Cemetery and the National Mall (see nps.gov).
The regilding represents a significant federal conservation project for one of Washington’s most prominent examples of public Art Deco sculpture (see equestrianstatue.org). The full scope and cost of the restoration have not been publicly detailed.
In the last 30 days, 38 of 517 Trump posts were on the topic of “Culture.”
Source: Zenger real-time database of all Truth Social posts.
Note: Chart generated on July 5, 2026 at 11:18 AM EST
Source: Zenger analysis
Note: Table generated by https://zenger.news on July 5, 2026 at 11:18 AM EST