Sean JamesMay 17th, 2026, 2:09 pm

MS NOW anchor Ali Velshi absolutely hates the construction projects being spearheaded by President Donald Trump, including the triumphal arch the president is installing in Washington, D.C.

Velshi ripped the arch — and several other projects — during his opening segment on his MS NOW program on Sunday morning. Velshi put his arms above his head to mimic the arch Trump is having built between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.

“I’m doing this because it’s stupid, just like the arch” Velshi said about his pose.

He then seemed to contradict himself a bit by explaining Trump’s arch is being styled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, which he said was “lovely.” The 162-foot tall French arch was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 and finished in 1836; Trump’s arch is expected to be 250 feet tall to honor America’s 250th birthday.

Velshi then got back to ripping Trump’s version.

“Estimated cost: $100 million. Nobody asked for this!” Velshi vented. “Nobody needs this.”

He then moved on to complaining about other things Trump has greenlit, like the revamping of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Velshi told his viewers “I really hope you’re sitting down for this,” before telling them the project is costing the taxpayer $13 million. He said that was “alarming,” just like it was alarming that the bid was given to “three guys” who had worked on other Trump pool projects in the past.

And another construction calamity, according to Velshi: Trump’s new ballroom.

He said “You and I were never going to be invited to that ballroom, but at least we weren’t going to have to pay for it.” But he said that plan has now changed, after a gunman tried to murder Trump and several administration officials at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner last month. Velshi said the price tag will now be $1 billion to beef up security for the ballroom — although that proposal was rejected in the Senate this weekend.

He summarized Trump’s desire for new buildings by saying “authoritarians throughout history have always understood and exploited the power of spectacle.”

Watch above via MS NOW.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!