President Donald Trump has announced new, even crazier, plans for his proposed Triumphal Arch.
The president said in an early-morning Truth Social post that the arch will actually now be some sort of 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,” Trump posted.
He also proclaimed that “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!”
Contrary to Trump’s assertion, Washington is not the only major capital city without an arch.
Several global capitals, such as Ottawa, Copenhagen, and Stockholm, do not have Roman-style arches. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has also echoed this talking point, falsely claiming that D.C. “is the only major Western capital without an arch.”
The arch is one of many of Trump’s so-called “beautification” projects that have come under heavy scrutiny in his second term.
Trump has grown obsessive over this project, like his other vanity projects across D.C., which include his White House ballroom, the botched renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, and redevelopment of a golf course in East Potomac Park.
Trump has also cited a military need for his ballroom, just as he is now doing with the arch.
The proposed arch, which has been given the nickname “Arc de Trump,” currently stands at 250 feet tall and will be built on Memorial Circle, the roundabout leading to Arlington National Cemetery. With its height, it will effectively dwarf the 99-foot Lincoln Memorial across the river.
Officials in the Trump administration have admitted that the arch will harm nearby historical sites, but insisted that it must be built regardless.
A document from the National Park Service has admitted that “the adverse effects cannot be fully avoided” but insists the project “cannot be relocated and built in a less problematic area because the proposed location at Memorial Circle is central to the undertaking.”
Veterans have sued to block the arch, arguing that it would block the historic sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
Aviation experts have also raised concerns about the height and flashiness of the arch given its proximity to Reagan Washington National Airport.
