Trump converting plans for his beloved DC triumphal arch into sprawling 'military complex' for deploying drones and snipers

Sign up HERE for the DC Insider Newsletter- our guide to what's rocking Washington, rattling the White House and setting tongues wagging on the HillSee more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 09:23 EDT, 20 September 2026 | Updated: 09:23 EDT, 20 September 2026 President Donald Trump has radically overhauled plans for his so-called ‘Arc de Trump,’ announcing that the towering D.C. monument will double as a military complex at the ‘strong request’ of the U.S. military. '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,' Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. Trump announced that the arch will now be used to store drones and ammunition to allow rapid deployment in 'large numbers,' as well as house teams of snipers on the roof and plaza areas. 'There will be no facility like this anywhere in the World. 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, but it will now and, by far, the greatest of them all! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President Donald J. Trump,' he concluded.On Saturday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) noted that the proposed Arch would need to have an 'eternal flame' to prevent it from being a flight safety hazard.An FAA spokesperson shared with The Hill on Saturday that there would additionally need to be 'floodlight projectors pointed towards the Arch to make it noticeable for pilots.'Interior Secretary Doug Burgum shared images of the gilded memorial arch on social media earlier in September, noting at the time that the project will be 'one of the Great Pieces of American Architecture.'The design for the arch, slated to be placed between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, was proposed by Trump earlier in his second term. US President Donald Trump holds models of an arc monument during a ballroom dinner in the East Room at the White House in Washington, DC in October of 2025 Trump shared the latest developments about his Arc project on Truth Social on Sunday Renderings show a 250-foot tall 'Arc de Trump' towering over Washington, DCThe plans immediately sparked concern among some groups, including a DC planning commission, which has not yet formally approved plans for the project.It also sparked backlash from veterans and an architectural historian who filed a lawsuit earlier this year seeking to block plans for the memorial.Plaintiffs cited concerns about the administration's failure to secure congressional approval before trying to build out the massive arch on federal land. They also cited concerns with its proximity to the Arlington National Cemetery.The Arc project is far from the first time that Trump has used security concerns as justification for his architectural endeavors during his second term as he is determined to leave not only a metaphorical but a literal mark on the nation's capital.Elements of Trump's White House Ballroom project have been proceeding by having funds allocated from the Secret Service budget, despite some parts of it being caught up in lawsuits.Parts of a reconciliation package passed by GOP lawmakers over the summer included $1 billion for 'the purposes of security adjustments and upgrades ... relating to the East Wing Modernization Project, including above-ground and below-ground security features.'