President Donald Trump announced Sunday that a massive arch he wants to build between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery will double as a “top grade Military Complex.”
Trump said in a Truth Social post that he had agreed, at the “strong request” of the military, to convert the planned 250-foot-tall monument into a facility capable of hosting drones and snipers.
The post stated the arch would “house, store, and have the rapid ability to use large numbers of drones, plus Snipers, on both the roof and plaza areas.”
Trump added that the structure would “additionally have and hold large quantities of sniper ammunition in storage,” according to the Truth Social post.
Trump wrote: “There will be no facility like this anywhere in the World.”
He further argued that Washington is “the only one in the world that does not have a triumphal arch,” among the 59 top cities and capitals he cited, calling the planned structure “by far, the greatest of them all.”
The proposed 250-foot arch, planned for a circle adjacent to the Memorial Bridge, would rank among the largest such monuments anywhere in the world.
Concerns have already been raised that the structure could interfere with other national symbols, obstruct sightlines, and complicate landing approaches for pilots at nearby airports.
A federal court is currently weighing the legality of the arch, adding a significant legal obstacle to a project Trump has championed as part of his broader effort to reshape Washington’s landscape.
The Pentagon offered little clarity when contacted for comment, with a spokesperson saying the department has “nothing additional to provide beyond the post,” while the White House also declined to offer further information.
The arch represents one of several major construction and renovation projects Trump is pursuing to leave a lasting imprint on the nation’s capital, alongside a new White House ballroom, renovations to the Kennedy Center, refurbishment of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, and plans to rebuild a golf course in East Potomac Park.
Trump has described the new White House ballroom in similar terms, repeatedly calling it a “military complex” and arguing the project serves national security purposes, suggesting a pattern in how the administration is framing its capital improvement agenda.
The golf course proposal has drawn separate criticism over concerns it would significantly reduce public access to running and biking paths currently used by residents throughout the Washington area.
