WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Trump said the planned triumphal arch would also serve as a military complex housing drones, snipers and ammunition.
- The president cited national security concerns but did not identify any specific threats behind the decision.
- The Federal Aviation Administration found no aircraft hazard but required an eternal flame atop the arch.
- Veterans sued to block the project, while aviation experts and preservationists raised separate concerns.
President Donald Trump said Sunday that his planned triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery in Washington would serve a dual purpose.
Along with marking the nation’s 250th anniversary, the structure would operate as a military complex equipped to house drones, snipers and ammunition.
Trump said the military made a “strong request” for the change. His announcement described a heavily equipped structure with operational space on both its roof and plaza areas.
In a social media post, Trump said he had agreed to turn the 250-foot (76-meter) 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.”
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The president cited national security concerns as the reason for adding the military functions.
He did not identify any specific threats that prompted the decision or provide further details about how the proposed complex would operate.
The national security rationale echoes the explanation offered for the roughly $400 million ballroom complex now being built at the White House.
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That project is located on the site of the former East Wing, which was demolished to make room for the complex.
Both projects are part of Trump’s ambitious effort to reshape Washington.
That wider campaign also includes a push to place his name on the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
The plans have attracted criticism from preservationists and other opponents.
They argue that the proposed changes could alter or diminish historic landmarks in the nation’s capital.
The arch has also faced a federal aviation question because of its location.
The Federal Aviation Administration said last week that the proposed structure would not pose a hazard to aircraft, clearing an aviation hurdle facing the project.
The agency said the arch would be required to have an “eternal flame” on top. Trump proposed the arch as a monument marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The Federal Aviation Administration’s determination addressed whether the 250 foot structure would create an aircraft hazard.
It did not end concerns from aviation experts, who have raised safety questions because the planned arch would stand near Reagan Washington National Airport.
The location has also drawn a legal challenge from veterans seeking to stop construction. They have sued to block the arch, arguing that it would destroy the historic sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Trump’s announcement. The Pentagon also did not immediately respond to the request.
Trump’s description would place substantial military capabilities inside and around a commemorative structure.
According to his post, those capabilities would include storage for large quantities of sniper ammunition, space for drones and positions for snipers on the roof and plaza.
The announcement joins the arch’s ceremonial mission with a national security role. Trump said the military sought the change, while his post emphasized the ability to rapidly use large numbers of drones from the complex.
The proposal therefore continues to face scrutiny from several directions contained in the project’s existing record.
Aviation experts have raised safety concerns, preservationists have criticized possible effects on landmarks, and veterans have gone to court over the historic sightline.
At the same time, the Federal Aviation Administration has said the arch would not pose a hazard to aircraft if it carries the required flame.
Trump’s plan now presents the structure as both a triumphal monument and a military complex containing drones, snipers and stored ammunition.
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