President Donald Trump announced Sunday that the 250-foot Triumphal Arch he has planned for the nation’s capital will now serve a dual purpose, doubling as a “top grade military complex.”
The president made the announcement in a post on Truth Social, saying the change came “at the strong request of the United States Military, and for National Security purposes.” Trump wrote that he has agreed to convert what he called the “magnificent Triumphal Arch,” planned “since the Civil War Era many years ago,” into a “top grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch.” He said the structure will stand at the Receptive Circle adjoining the Arlington Memorial Bridge.
Trump spelled out what the converted structure will be used for. According to the president, it will house, store, and have the “rapid ability to use large numbers of drones.” He added that snipers will be stationed on both the roof and plaza areas, and that the complex will also hold large quantities of sniper ammunition in storage.
The president went on to make the case for his arch, arguing that other major cities around the world already have one. “There will be no facility like this anywhere in the World,” Trump wrote. He argued that out of the 59 top cities and capitals, Washington, D.C., is the only one in the world without a triumphal arch, but wrote that it “will now and, by far, the greatest of them all!”
The project has come under controversy on numerous fronts. A group of Vietnam veterans is suing to stop it, arguing that the arch would block views of Arlington National Cemetery and that it requires Congressional authorization to proceed.
Separately, the FAA announced Friday that the arch would need to have a flame going on top at all times so that planes can pass safely.
The administration has also acknowledged that the arch would have “adverse effects” on the area’s landscape, though it claims those effects “cannot be fully avoided.”
The latest announcement puts the military role of the arch front and center. In his Truth Social post, the president tied the conversion directly to the request of the United States Military and to national security. The complex, he said, will be built to store and rapidly use large numbers of drones, with snipers on the roof and plaza and large quantities of sniper ammunition held in storage.
At the same time, the arch continues to face pushback. The Vietnam veterans behind the lawsuit want to stop the project, contending that it would obstruct views of Arlington National Cemetery and cannot move forward without Congressional authorization. The FAA has said a flame must burn atop the arch at all times, and the administration has conceded that the landscape effects it acknowledges cannot be fully avoided.
For his part, Trump is standing by the project. He described it as “magnificent” and pointed out that Washington, D.C., is the only one of the 59 top cities and capitals without a triumphal arch. In his words, there will be no facility like it anywhere in the World.
