Posted on 09/20/2026 6:30:07 AM PDT by Miami Rebel
President Trump said on Sunday that he has agreed to convert plans for a massive triumphal arch into a "top grade Military Complex," equipped with snipers and drone storage.
"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," Mr. Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Work on the 250-foot-tall arch was expected to begin this month, with plans to start excavation on the site across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., on a traffic circle near Arlington National Cemetery. The arch is proposed to be clad in granite and topped with three golden statues and have an observation deck.
The president said Sunday that the arch would "house, store, and have the rapid ability to use large numbers of drones, plus Snipers, on both the roof and plaza areas," along with holding "large quantities of sniper ammunition in storage."
Mr. Trump said 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!" he added.
The administration has said that the arch's development, which comes as part of a broader effort by the president to put his architectural stamp on the nation's capital, will recognize the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence this year. But it's drawn pushback amid concerns that the monument's height could interfere with sightlines between major D.C. monuments and Arlington National Cemetery, along with its proximity to Ronald Reagan Washington International Airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration determined on Friday that the arch poses no hazard to flights coming into and departing from the nearby airport, despite concerns from Democratic lawmakers that the project would further complicate an already complex airspace.
Dear FRiends,
We need your continuing support to keep FR funded. Your donations are our sole source of funding. No sugar daddies, no advertisers, no paid memberships, no commercial sales, no gimmicks, no tax subsidies. No spam, no pop-ups, no ad trackers.
If you enjoy using FR and agree it's a worthwhile endeavor, please consider making a contribution today:
Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you,
Jim
President Dwight Eisenhower: “the military industrial complex”
If you a data center to it, it would be a military-industrial complex.
This took lots of interchanging with the military. He's making it into a multi-use item...just like the Ballroom...Beats tents and porta pottys...which was absolutely disgusting representation of the greatest nation in the world.
I understand the value of national monuments. But why does a Republic need a “Triumphal Arch”? That’s something you’d find in an empire.
I’d much rather see the money go to upgrading VA hospitals.
Pyongyang has one. We need one too.
A huge glompy obstruction to Arlington National Cemetery...and now it’ll be a sniper tower too? A great projection of our military might.
A top grade military complex with munitions storage and snipers ... all concealed in an arch in a very heavily used traffic circle.
Right, Donald?
And he’s doing this at the request of the military? We are supposed to believe this?
We’re getting into Calypso Louie mothership territory here.
Trump no longer seems to have any idea of what he is saying.
Because beauty is as much a need for society as things like hospitals and such.
It is why one of the first things the socialists is replace what is beautiful to something functional made of concrete.
Brutalism cane from the socialists.
You folks are missing something. Trump wants $1.5 TRILLION for defense. What account do you think this arch will come out of?
So ... if ANTIFA gets rowdy again, will the government just start shooting people in the crowd? That would cause them to disperse.
I honestly can't imagine another purpose.
I’d rather have a useful edifice, instead of a simply symbolic one.
America can have freaking nice things too. All the haters be like if it wasn’t built in 1800s we can’t have it, unless it’s drab Grey government building. Good grief, let’s build nice things
Nice things...ya mean like a basketball court??
Donnie the Narcissist just wants an excuse to stick his name on it and light it up like the Golden Arches over DC and the taxpayer pay for it.
Inflation is out of control and so is Trump.
The Dems will kill another Trump Vanity project .
I thought Canada was paying.
The arch will be beautiful and I love it.
Welcome to TDS Republic where nothing Trump does is good or good enough.
This. And Trump knows the importance of beauty (and history which Communists want to erase by eliminating architectural details) for many reasons. Trump is much more intelligent than even our side acknowledges. And he is methodical in his efforts.
Apparently, it will now be useful as well.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.