Trump says 250-foot arch will now be a military complex for attack drones, snipers and ammo
Por John Bowden — – World RSS Feed
Trump says 250-foot arch will now be a military complex for attack drones, snipers and ammo
Effort comes as Trump has struggled to get his GOP congressional majorites to pony up for ballroom and arch projects
John Bowden in Washington, D.C. Sunday 20 September 2026 14:22 BST
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Donald Trump made another push on Sunday to redefine one of his Washington, D.C. “beautification” projects that is likely aimed at securing funding for the project from a skeptical Congress.
The president posted on Truth Social that the planned 250-foot structure will now be loaded up with “large numbers of drones, plus Snipers,” and insisted that the commemorative structure on the grounds of one of America’s most sacred spaces — Arlington National Cemetary — would become a “top grade Military Complex.”
“At the strong request of the United States Military, and for National Security purposes, I have agreed to convert the magnificent Triumphal Arch, planned since the Civil War Era many years ago, at the Receptive Circle adjoining the Arlington Memorial Bridge, 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,” wrote the president.
“There will be no facility like this anywhere in the World,” Trump added, before adding: “Out of the 59 top cities and Capitals, Washington, D.C., IS THE ONLY ONE IN THE WORLD THAT DOES NOT HAVE A TRIUMPHAL ARCH.”
The president’s remarks come after he made similar plans to convert his planned White House ballroom, which like the ‘triumphal arch’ is facing legal challenges due to lack of congressional approval, into a military installation at the White House. Trump sought to secure funding for the “ballroom/drone port” through Congress this summer by insisting that funding for it could be part of necessary Secret Service security upgrades to the White House grounds, but the Senate balked and refused to grant him money for the project in a budget package approved on party lines through the reconciliation process this year.
Trump has already sought to break ground on this latest project without congressional approval, citing a century-old authorization from Congress for another project in the same location.
Democrats and legal groups have filed to stop the construction, joining battles being fought over land across the District of Columbia including the Kennedy Center and the former location of the White House East Wing, which was demolished to pave way for the ballroom project.
This is a breaking news report. More to follow…
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Donald TrumpTruth SocialArlington National CemeteryWhite HouseSecret Service
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