'Visibly oozing': Viral video captures Trump's mockup arch falling to pieces
Building material oozes from a smaller replica of U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed 250-foot' Triumphal Arch' at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 1, 2026. REUTERS/Cheney Orr

One of the centerpieces of President Donald Trump's "Great American State Fair" to kick off the 250th anniversary celebrations is a scale replica of his planned "victory arch" project — but almost immediately after it went up, people started to notice it was coming apart.

Now, a viral video making rounds on social media shows the damage is even more dramatic than ever.

The video, posted to X by the FactPost account, appeared to reveal "caulk is visibly oozing" from cracks just above the columns, though the video has not been independently verified.

This comes after days of embarrassing reports of setbacks and disappointments for the president at his state fair event, including subpar food vendors, large numbers of states pulling out, a sponsor canceling over a Confederate flag display, and electrical issues that have temporarily shut down major attractions.

The Great American State Fair was facing difficulties from the beginning, as Trump sidelined America250, the nonpartisan congressionally approved group tasked with putting on celebrations for America's 250th anniversary, and instead created his own "Freedom 250" group under his partisan control, poisoning the celebrations with millions of people critical of his administration.

The arch that the replica is meant to advertise, which is to be built directly across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial, has raised controversy itself, with veterans' groups warning it would obstruct views of Arlington National Cemetery.