President Donald Trump unveiled the latest vision for the proposed arch on Sunday as the project confronts mounting legal scrutiny.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said the 250-foot structure planned between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery would be designed as a “top grade military complex,” with space for drones, rooftop and plaza snipers, and ammunition storage.
The announcement reflects Trump’s broader effort to frame his plans for reshaping the White House and Washington as matters of national defense, not simply beautification. He has similarly described the planned White House ballroom as a “military complex” and said its construction is tied to security needs.
The Pentagon said it had no details about the proposal beyond the president’s public comments.
Trump’s statement came as the memorial arch faces a lawsuit. The project has received initial approval from the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump, but three veterans and an architectural historian argue that Congress must authorize the construction before it can proceed.
“The President’s belated efforts to manufacture a national security justification for this project do nothing to cure its fundamental illegality,” Nicolas Sansone, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said Sunday. “Congress has not authorized the arch and unless and until Congress does so, the project should not be permitted to move forward.”
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In a social media post, Trump said he had agreed to the redesign at the “strong request” of the military. He described the planned memorial as a “top grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch” that could accommodate and rapidly deploy large numbers of drones, position snipers on the roof and surrounding plaza, and store substantial quantities of sniper ammunition.
The proposed arch would rise in a traffic circle near Memorial Bridge, one of only a few major crossings linking Washington with Northern Virginia.
The arch is part of a broader collection of projects Trump is pursuing as a long-term mark on the capital. His plans also include building a ballroom at the White House, renaming and renovating the Kennedy Center, restoring the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and reconstructing a golf course at East Potomac Park — a move that could sharply limit public access to popular running and cycling paths.
Construction was initially expected to begin this month, but the arch still lacks final approval from the National Capital Area Planning Commission. The panel approved the location and preliminary design during its July meeting and is expected to revisit the proposal this fall.