On Sunday, President Donald Trump announced that the arch he plans to construct in the traffic circle between Arlington Memorial Bridge and Arlington National Cemetery would also serve as a “top grade military complex.” This notion faced immediate backlash and doubt from analysts as well as a lawmaker from Northern Virginia.
Trump stated on Truth Social that he agreed to transform the proposed 250-foot-tall arch into a base for drones, snipers, and ammunition storage “at the strong request of the United States Military, and for National Security purposes.”
The Pentagon mentioned it had no information beyond what the president shared, and WTOP National Security Correspondent J. J. Green indicated that Trump’s post appears to be more of an idea than a plan since military and intelligence agencies likely wouldn’t want this use to be made public.
“That just leaves me to think, based on how this president rolls or engages, this is more about seeing what people think, what people say, how people react, and another thing for him to comment on,” Green said.
Additionally, there are practical issues with turning the arch into a security outpost.
“Storing ammunition in a heavily visited national monument creates force protection, access control, and explosive safety questions,” Green explained. “Operating large numbers of drones also presents an unusually complicated airspace problem. Washington lies inside some of America’s most restrictive airspace.”
“This is something that could take years to get approved, even if it were feasibly possible from an environmental, a legal, and from other perspectives,” Green added.
WTOP National Security Correspondent J. J. Green speaks with weekend anchor Sandy Kozel about President Donald Trump’s planned arch that he says will serve as a “military complex.”
Virginia Rep. Don Beyer, a Democrat representing the area in Congress, pointed out the airspace issue in a post on X.
“Putting a drone launching site directly in the landing path for DCA is a stupid, dangerous, and unworkable idea,” Beyer wrote. “Trump clearly expects to lose a lawsuit and therefore wants to set up a pretext to argue that the arch is tied to national security. Which is obviously idiotic.”
A group consisting of three veterans and an architectural historian has filed suit against the project because they claim it requires congressional approval.
“The President’s belated efforts to manufacture a national security justification for this project do nothing to cure its fundamental illegality,” Nicolas Sansone said on behalf of those suing. “Congress has not authorized the arch and unless Congress does so first, the project should not move forward.”
Trump has also called his White House ballroom a “military complex,” which Joe Moreno-a former federal prosecutor and two-time U. S. Army combat veteran-suggested might be “another card he is playing” in hopes of securing approval and funding for the arch.
“Congress does give the commander-in-chief plenty of discretion regarding how he or she spends appropriated funds for military purposes,” Moreno told WTOP.
He expressed confidence that Army Corps of Engineers would likely approve such plans due to its location near both the White House and Pentagon.
“But claiming that military officials are actively requesting this as some kind of asset for strategic value? Color me skeptical,” Moreno remarked.
WTOP’s Sandy Kozel along with The Associated Press contributed reporting for this article.
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