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Trump says he agreed to convert triumphal arch into "top grade Military Complex"
CBS News ^ | September 20, 2026 | Kaia Hubbard

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.


TOPICS: Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: 5thcolumnonfr; aidandcomfort; alltdsallthetime; arch; arlington; demedia; drones; literallyhitler; miamiclairvoyant; miamicomplaintdept; miaminarcissist; miamirino; miamisupergenius; miamitdsbot; miamiwhiner; nextspam; notrush; officialdemnarrative; seebs; sphinxter; tds; tdsciultistsonfr; tdsinmiami; tdsrepublic; tdstraitorslist; trollrepublic
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To: discostu

He was NOT told he couldn’t build the arch.


41 posted on 09/20/2026 7:45:51 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: Miami Rebel

This is one disagreement that I have with Trump. Triumphal arches are a Caesarean and Napoleonic thing and not part of our culture.


42 posted on 09/20/2026 7:47:47 AM PDT by Fiji Hill
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To: usafa92

> This is something the Soviets would have done. <

It’s something that empires in general do.

Don’t get me wrong. Monuments are important. The Lincoln Memorial and the Iwo Jima Memorial are two good examples of that. But I just can’t see this “triumphal arch” fitting into that category.


43 posted on 09/20/2026 7:48:48 AM PDT by Leaning Right
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To: central_va

what is the figure from?

that the month of July figure is not that great either.

Trump economy is the pits.

the U.S. economy has not seen a major overall improvement, with key indicators showing slower job growth and sticky inflation during Donald Trump’s second term.

Jobs and Labor Market
• Slower Hiring: Job creation slowed down a lot compared to previous years.
• Higher Unemployment: The unemployment rate ticked up, and total hiring declined.
• Manufacturing: Manufacturing jobs dropped after new global tariffs took effect.

Prices and Inflation
• Persistent Costs: Inflation did not drop as much as hoped.
• Tariffs and Energy: New tariffs and global conflicts kept everyday living costs high for many families
.

Economic Growth
• Lower GDP: Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth stayed near 2 percent, which is weaker than previous years.
• Consumer Mood: Many Americans feel frustrated with high prices and a weaker job market.

Donnie has the country in the ditch .

That’s one of the reason why
the midterms will be worse than his 2018 wipe out.

And Donnie wants to build a monument to Himself illegally .

Trump can’t bult this period without going thru a 4 step process.

1. Lack of Final NCPC Approval
The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC)—one of the key federal agencies that must approve major changes to government property in D.C.—has only given preliminary approval for the arch. The administration announced plans to begin excavation work at Memorial Circle, leading to a federal judge ordering a 48-hour notice requirement for any activity beyond archaeological test pits, as final approval from the planning commission is still pending. [1, 2, 3, 4]
2. Fast-Tracking the Historic Preservation Review
Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, the government is legally required to assess how a project impacts historic and cultural sites. A National Park Service (NPS) assessment acknowledged that the massive arch would have “adverse effects” on dozens of surrounding historic sites (such as obscuring the historic sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House). Preservation groups and local officials argue that the administration has flouted the intent of the law by rushing the review, giving local stakeholders only a few days to sign a memorandum of agreement to expedite the final decision. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
3. Sidestepping Congress (The Commemorative Works Act)
Opponents, including a group of Vietnam War veterans who filed a lawsuit, argue that the project violates the Commemorative Works Act. This law dictates that any monument or memorial built on federal land in or near D.C. requires explicit congressional authorization and funding approvals. President Trump has asserted that congressional permission is unnecessary because the land is directly controlled by the Department of the Interior. [1, 2, 3]
4. Aviation Space Constraints
Because the 250-foot structure sits less than two miles from a runway at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), it triggered a mandatory safety evaluation. While the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently cleared the arch, noting it poses no direct hazard to air travel if outfitted with red obstruction lights, critics and pilots note that putting a permanent 250-foot obstruction in an active commercial flight path stretches standard airspace safety norms. [1, 2, 3]

Someone needs to notify Trump he is not a Emperor and follow the rule just anyone else .

After Nov and beginning in Jan , he will be probably powerless.


44 posted on 09/20/2026 7:50:07 AM PDT by ncalburt (queens )
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To: Leaning Right

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumphal_Arch_of_Moscow


45 posted on 09/20/2026 7:52:16 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: Miami Rebel

This should tie up a bunch of liberal judges and lawyers. Keeps them busy, consumes them with rage, and maybe they’ll stay out of our hair on the important stuff as much as possible.


46 posted on 09/20/2026 7:58:36 AM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
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To: Sacajaweau

Yes , Trump has been notify there is a 4 step process to get it approved

Donnie thinks he can ignore since he thinks he is emperor.

Here it is.

1. Lack of Final NCPC Approval
The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC)—one of the key federal agencies that must approve major changes to government property in D.C.—has only given preliminary approval for the arch. The administration announced plans to begin excavation work at Memorial Circle, leading to a federal judge ordering a 48-hour notice requirement for any activity beyond archaeological test pits, as final approval from the planning commission is still pending. [1, 2, 3, 4]
2. Fast-Tracking the Historic Preservation Review
Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, the government is legally required to assess how a project impacts historic and cultural sites. A National Park Service (NPS) assessment acknowledged that the massive arch would have “adverse effects” on dozens of surrounding historic sites (such as obscuring the historic sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House). Preservation groups and local officials argue that the administration has flouted the intent of the law by rushing the review, giving local stakeholders only a few days to sign a memorandum of agreement to expedite the final decision. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
3. Sidestepping Congress (The Commemorative Works Act)
Opponents, including a group of Vietnam War veterans who filed a lawsuit, argue that the project violates the Commemorative Works Act. This law dictates that any monument or memorial built on federal land in or near D.C. requires explicit congressional authorization and funding approvals. President Trump has asserted that congressional permission is unnecessary because the land is directly controlled by the Department of the Interior. [1, 2, 3]
4. Aviation Space Constraints
Because the 250-foot structure sits less than two miles from a runway at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), it triggered a mandatory safety evaluation. While the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently cleared the arch, noting it poses no direct hazard to air travel if outfitted with red obstruction lights, critics and pilots note that putting a permanent 250-foot obstruction in an active commercial flight path stretches standard airspace safety norms. [1, 2, 3]

Trump just tried to have his son Donnie Jr
paid for by a Putin Russian Mafia .
They supposedly paid him back .


47 posted on 09/20/2026 8:00:43 AM PDT by ncalburt (queens )
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To: Leaning Right

It’s another Trump vanity project. Absolutely nobody in America was asking for a Triumphal Arch on January 20, 2025. There’s only one person asking for it now. And nobody wants it to be used for military use. We are entering the Madness of King George phase right now.


48 posted on 09/20/2026 8:05:03 AM PDT by usafa92 (Donald J. Trump, 45th and 47th President of the United States of America!)
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To: TangoLimaSierra

Trump is jabbering about a military complex. In a traffic circle.

Clowning or delusional?

I think he just talks without thinking, says ridiculous things, and still expects to be taken seriously as real policy flips haphazardly without warning.

He seems serious about building the arch ... so that instead of looking down the mall at Arlington National Cemetery rising on yonder green hills topped by the Custis Lee mansion, we will now look down the mall at a Trump vanity project that dwarfs the Lincoln Memorial and obstructs the view of the cemetery.

Congress would never approve such a thing. The American people would never vote in favor of it. But Trump has appointed spineless sycophants to the review boards that have to rubber stamp this week’s ego project, and he is just going to do it.

At least he hasn’t torn down the Washington Monument to erect a colossal statue of himself. Yet.


49 posted on 09/20/2026 8:15:47 AM PDT by sphinx
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To: ncalburt
All lies. GDP is coming in at 4+. He inherited a disaster.
50 posted on 09/20/2026 8:23:55 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn)
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To: stanne

FR has become a caricature of itself.


51 posted on 09/20/2026 8:26:09 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn)
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To: Miami Rebel

It seems like every time Trump or his administration plan on doing something that needs little or no publicity for national security’s sake, the press has to make sure everyone knows about it. And if it goes public, our enemies will know as well. Traitors wrapping themselves in the “public’s right to know.”


52 posted on 09/20/2026 8:38:28 AM PDT by telescope115 (Ad Astra, Ad Deum…)
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To: sphinx
"..all concealed in an arch in a very heavily used traffic circle."

Most commuters won't know if the arch is occupied or not.

53 posted on 09/20/2026 8:43:52 AM PDT by chief lee runamok (Full-time flâneur, bullish on bikes)
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To: All

54 posted on 09/20/2026 8:56:34 AM PDT by Liz (“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies the work of His hands. " (Psalm 19:1))
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To: central_va

This is so surprising to me, been here since early 2000s and Trump has done more for conservative causes than any president. We have been infiltrated by false conservatives for sure.


55 posted on 09/20/2026 9:10:18 AM PDT by pangaea6
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To: central_va

Overall economically, things are worse now than January 20, 2025. Gas, energy, food, inflation. The list goes on and on. It’s been over 600 days. At what point do things start becoming his responsibility?


56 posted on 09/20/2026 9:10:45 AM PDT by MomentsofSanity
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To: central_va

LOL

The economist is lying about Donnie disaster economy.
Sure thing.

Take a walk thru Walmart-Gas station and listen to
to what former Donnie voters say.

Enjoy.


57 posted on 09/20/2026 9:11:31 AM PDT by ncalburt (queens )
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To: Sacajaweau

That’s about all we can build without thugs, losers and destructive liberals in America


58 posted on 09/20/2026 9:30:17 AM PDT by pangaea6
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To: Sacajaweau

That’s about all we can build without thugs, losers and destructive liberals in America


59 posted on 09/20/2026 9:30:20 AM PDT by pangaea6
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To: Sacajaweau

That’s about all we can build without thugs, losers and destructive liberals in America


60 posted on 09/20/2026 9:30:23 AM PDT by pangaea6
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