Washington’s planned 250-foot triumphal arch would become a “top grade military complex” holding drones, snipers and ammunition, President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post on Sunday morning.
Trump wrote that he had agreed, at the “strong request” of the military, to convert the memorial arch to “house, store, and have the rapid ability to use” drones and snipers “on both the roof and plaza areas, and additionally have and hold large quantities of sniper ammunition in storage.” He added: “There will be no facility like this anywhere in the world.”
The structure is proposed for a circle near the Memorial Bridge, a heavy-traffic route linking the capital to northern Virginia, and would sit between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. Its location near Ronald Reagan Washington international airport has drawn questions from Democratic members of Congress.
The arch faces legal and regulatory obstacles. A group of three veterans and an architectural historian sued, arguing the project requires approval from Congress. The National Capital Area Planning Commission approved the site and preliminary plans but has not given final approval.
Last week the National Park Service warned the project could have “adverse effects to historic properties” and called for additional planning before construction.
It is one of several Washington projects Trump has pursued, including a new White House ballroom he has also described as a “military complex,” the ballroom project that the Supreme Court cleared last month, the refurbishment of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and the renaming of the Kennedy Center.