Trump says planned Washington triumphal arch will house drones and snipers
U.S. President Donald Trump said a planned triumphal arch in Washington, D.C., will also serve as a military complex capable of storing and rapidly deploying drones and providing positions for snipers.
Trump said on Sept. 20 that he had agreed to the changes "at the strong request of the United States Military, and for National Security purposes."
According to Trump, the structure would be able to house and store large numbers of drones and allow them to be rapidly deployed. Snipers would be positioned on the roof and plaza areas, while sniper ammunition would be stored inside the complex.
"There will be no facility like this anywhere in the World," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The proposed arch is planned near the Arlington Memorial Bridge. Trump has promoted the project since 2025 as a monument marking the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.
Early versions of the project envisioned a structure about 60 feet (18 meters) tall, with a later proposal increasing its height to 76 feet (23 meters). Trump subsequently backed a much larger version reaching 250 feet (76 meters), which would make it taller than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
The scale of the project has drawn criticism, including from architectural critic Catesby Leigh, who had previously advocated building a triumphal arch in Washington but argued that a 250-foot structure would be too large for the proposed site near Arlington National Cemetery.
Asked previously whom the planned arch would honor, Trump replied: "Me."