President Donald Trump said Sunday that he wants to turn his planned triumphal arch into a military complex.
This complex would “house, store, and have the rapid ability to use large numbers of drones, plus Snipers, on both the roof and plaza areas,” he wrote Sunday on Truth Social. It would also hold “large quantities” of sniper ammunition in storage.
“There will be no facility like this anywhere in the World,” Trump posted.
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The proposed 250-foot stone arch between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., is one of several projects Trump has taken on during his second term.
Its height is symbolic: The monument is intended to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary. Renderings show a pale arch with gold trim, as well as sculptures and an observation area incorporated into the design.
A group of Vietnam War veterans sued to block the arch’s construction, alleging it is moving forward without required approval from Congress and federal oversight bodies. In addition, the veterans said, the arch will dishonor those buried at Arlington National Cemetery and diminish the experience of visitors traveling along Memorial Circle and the Memorial Avenue corridor.
Democratic members of Congress have made similar points, with Reps. Don Beyer of Virginia and Dina Titus of Nevada leading a bill to halt its construction. The arch, they said in a news release, “relies on illegal manipulations of funding without congressional authorization and violates the Commemorative Works Act.”
A recent assessment by the National Park Service found the arch could have “adverse effects” on historic properties in the area. The most “substantial” of these, according to the NPS, are concentrated in the Memorial Circle, Arlington Memorial Bridge, Memorial Avenue, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington House and Lincoln Memorial corridor.
The Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday that the arch doesn’t pose a hazard to flights through Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
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