Trump Says Planned Arch Would Serve as Military Complex
President Donald Trump announced Sunday that a proposed arch between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery would be transformed into a military complex capable of housing drones and snipers.
President Donald Trump said Sunday that a massive arch he plans to build between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery would become a "top grade military complex" capable of hosting drones and snipers, as well as storing ammunition. This statement represents another instance of Trump asserting that his beautification projects for the White House and Washington also serve defensive purposes, mirroring his previous description of the White House ballroom as a "military complex" necessary for national security.
The Pentagon has stated it has no additional information beyond the president's remarks.
The arch project, like other initiatives by the president, is facing legal challenges. While it has received preliminary approval from the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump, a group of veterans and an architectural historian have filed a lawsuit asserting that congressional approval is required.
Trump stated in a social media post that at the "strong request" of the military, he agreed to reconfigure the planned 250-foot-tall memorial arch into a "top grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch, to house, store, and have the rapid ability to use large numbers of drones, plus Snipers, on both the roof and plaza areas, and additionally have and hold large quantities of sniper ammunition in storage."
The proposed location for the arch is a circle adjacent to the Memorial Bridge, a major traffic artery connecting Washington D.C. to northern Virginia. This project is among several that Trump is pursuing to leave his mark on Washington, including renovations to the White House ballroom, the Kennedy Center, the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, and a golf course in East Potomac Park that could restrict public access to recreational paths.
The groundbreaking for the arch was initially planned for this month. The National Capital Area Planning Commission, which approved the site and preliminary plans in July, is expected to revisit the project in the fall, as it has not yet received final approval.