US President Donald Trump has said his proposed 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery will also serve as a military complex to store and deploy drones, snipers and ammunition.
The Pentagon and the Interior Department, which oversees the federal parkland where the arch is planned, have not provided details on Trump’s announcement. The administration has indicated that construction could begin as early as November. He did not specify which 59 cities and capitals he was referring to.
Trump made the announcement in a post on Truth Social, saying he had agreed to change the plan at the “strong request” of the US military and for “National Security purposes”. He said the structure would be a combination of a “Military Complex/Triumphal Arch”. The facility will be designed to “house, store” and quickly deploy large numbers of drones, according to Trump. He also said snipers could operate from the roof and plaza areas, while large quantities of sniper ammunition would be kept in storage. The president also claimed that Washington, DC is the only one among what he called the “59 top cities and Capitals” that does not have a triumphal arch. The announcement of the military function comes as veterans groups, historic preservationists and others are opposing the project, according to The Washington Post .
