Hegseth and DHS tell court Trump’s 250-foot arch would be a DC military base against enemy drones

Top officials from Donald Trump’s administration had previously denied knowing details about the president’s plans to turn a 250-foot “triumphal” arch in the heart of Washington, D.C. into a “top-grade military complex.”But top Cabinet secretaries and Department of Justice officials are now arguing that the arch must be built to fend off drones and other “national security” threats to the nation’s capital.In Wednesday court filings, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin outlined plans for a militarized monument that can deploy snipers and counter drones and other “continuously evolving” threats.“The Arch is a generational national defense opportunity to mitigate these evolving threats,” Hegseth wrote to the court. “It will be utilized as a dual-purpose structure: a major national monument that also incorporates military utility to support Homeland defense.”The monument will also house “counter sniper personnel,” he said. Mullin argued that the administration needs a “centralized and elevated infrastructure node at a key geographic location” for drone “detection” as well as “disruption and mitigation.”Trump administration officials had previously denied having any knowledge of plans for a proposed 250-foot arch to be a ‘military complex,’ but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and DOJ officials now say it’s a ‘generational national defense opportunity’ (Reuters)According to the administration’s latest filings, construction could begin as soon as November 5, with above-ground construction set to begin in May 2027. A finished arch is not expected to be completed until 2030, according to the Justice Department.Administration officials are trying to throw out a lawsuit from veterans who have argued that the massive arch at Memorial Circle near the entrance to Arlington Memorial Cemetery, where thousands of veterans are buried, would “dishonor” their service and legacy.Vietnam War veterans Jon Gundersen, Michael Lemmon and Shaun Byrnes, who are suing to stop the project, “all swore an oath to defend the U.S. Constitution,” Gunderson said in a statement.“And unlike Trump, we have upheld that oath,” he said. “His illegal Arch serves his ego, not the American people. An arch wedged between the line-of-sight of the sacred ground of Arlington National Cemetery, the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument dishonors our veterans and our nation. It is the wrong monument, built in the wrong place without Congress’ say.”The lawsuit also accuses the administration of illegally subverting congressional authority, and advocates have argued that the structure is subject to the Height of Buildings Act, which limits buildings to 130 feet.In August, the National Park Service acknowledged in a lengthy report that the arch will unavoidably create “adverse effects” and harm historic sites, but the administration plans to go through with the plans anyway.Last month, after terminating a federally mandated public review process, the Trump administration-led Advisory Council on Historic Preservation told advocacy groups who have raised alarms about the project that the government is moving forward with construction.But the council said the administration has not submitted any plans that line up with the president’s vision for the project.Newly released site maps and visual renderings from the Department of Interior also don’t include any information about Trump’s proposed “military” features.Veterans groups, preservations and other advocates suing to stop the project argue that it ‘dishonors’ veterans and illegally subverts congressional authority (AFP/Getty)The Trump administration has repeatedly invoked “national security” arguments to push plans for his pet projects, from constructing a massive ballroom and blocking reporters from the White House to banning gender-affirming healthcare for transgender inmates.In September, the president unveiled plans to turn the arch into a military installation on his Truth Social account, claiming that the request came from the U.S. military for “national security purposes.”“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,” Trump wrote.“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.”U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan is set to hear arguments Friday about whether to stall construction.“An injunction would forestall the opportunity for these significant national security benefits and prohibit the government from taking important steps to mitigate an ever-growing threat to the Nation’s capital,” government lawyers wrote Wednesday.“These significant national defense concerns ‘plainly outweigh’ Plaintiffs’ asserted aesthetic interests,” they added.Veterans groups and Democrats have been organizing against the project, including staging protests at the site and launching messaging campaigns designed to mobilize other veterans and their families.“We don’t need tourists overlooking funerals. I’m just appalled,” Karen Meredith, whose son is buried at Arlington, said in a recent video from political advocacy groups VoteVets and Home of the Brave. “If Trump thinks we’ll be quiet about this proposed arch, he’s wrong.”