Trump proposes arch near Washington to serve as drone and sniper facility

President Donald Trump announced that the 250-foot triumphal arch he intends to build near Washington would also operate as a "top-grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch" capable of storing and deploying large numbers of drones and sniper units on its roof and plaza. Trump said the change came at the "strong request" of the military, though a Defense Department official said the department had no comment beyond the president’s social-media post.

The proposal follows Trump’s broader plan to remodel parts of the capital, including a $400 million ballroom complex on the former East Wing site and renovations to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Preservationists and some lawmakers have criticized the projects as alterations to historic landmarks.

Retired Marine Colonel Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, questioned the security rationale, noting the arch would be located only a mile from an existing Army installation and two miles from the Pentagon. He said the plan “looks like it’s tacked on in order to strengthen the rationale for construction.”

Legal challenges continue. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ordered the administration to provide 48-hour notice before any work on the arch site, and veterans have sued to block the project, arguing it would disrupt the historic sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The Federal Aviation Administration indicated the structure would not endanger aircraft if topped with an eternal flame.

Democratic Representative Don Beyer warned that operating drones near Reagan National Airport would be “dangerous and impractical,” suggesting the national-security claim may be intended to bolster the administration’s legal position.