President Donald Trump said Sunday that his proposed 250-foot “Triumphal Arch” near Arlington National Cemetery would serve a national security role, with space for drones, snipers and ammunition.
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Trump said on social media that the change came at the “strong request” of the U.S. military. He said the planned monument would be converted into a “top grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch” capable of rapidly deploying drones and positioning snipers on its roof and plaza areas.
The Pentagon declined to comment about Trump’s claim that the military requested the changes.
The proposed arch would be located near Arlington Memorial Bridge between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. Trump has promoted the structure as both a major addition to Washington’s monumental landscape and, now, part of the capital’s security infrastructure.
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“There will be no facility like this anywhere in the World,” Trump said.
The project, however, remains the subject of a legal fight. A group of Vietnam War veterans has sought to block excavation work, arguing that the project requires congressional authorization and would interfere with views of Arlington National Cemetery. The administration has said planned excavation involves archaeological survey work rather than construction of the arch itself.
The Trump administration also acknowledged this month that the project would have “adverse effects” on the surrounding landscape and views, while maintaining those effects cannot be completely avoided because the location is central to the project.
Trump’s latest announcement follows similar national security arguments surrounding the White House ballroom project, which the president has said would incorporate military and security facilities.
