President Donald Trump said in an interview Wednesday that construction of his long-teased Triumphal Arch is expected to begin “sometime in the next two months.”

That would put the start date ahead of July 4, 2026 — as the White House ramps up preparations for the nation’s 250th anniversary next year.

“It hasn’t started yet. It starts sometime in the next two months. It’ll be great. Everyone loves it,” Trump told POLITICO when reached by phone from Mar-a-Lago. “They love the ballroom too. But they love the Triumphal Arch.”

The president has at times displayed a model of the proposed arch in recent months. There have been plans to build it by the Lincoln Monument, on the other end of a bridge leading to Arlington National Ceremony.

Trump has framed the project as a patriotic landmark meant to honor American history and military service, though critics have raised questions about cost, aesthetics and whether the executive branch has the authority to unilaterally move forward with such construction in Washington.

He has also promoted an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on White House grounds on June 14.

Asked who he would want to fight at the White House UFC match, Trump deferred to UFC President Dana White, a longtime ally, to make the selections. “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 said there could be “many matches, like 10,” suggesting the event would be a championship-level showcase rather than a single bout.

In a separate interview with POLITICO last week, Trump spoke about the Republican Party’s plans for the midterms, arguing the election will be about “pricing.” He also cast himself as the final decisionmaker for any peace deal in Russia’s war on Ukraine.