WASHINGTON, D.C. – Over the weekend, President Donald Trump said that his proposed arch he wants to build in D.C. would become a military complex. The project has faced legal and public pushback.
President Donald Trump said his proposed 250-foot arch will house snipers, drones and large amounts of weaponry. He said it was part of the military’s request and for national security purposes.
Ever since the President announced his plans to build the arch between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, there’s been pushback, both legally and in public opinion. A National Park Service study concluded that the proposed arch would adversely affect nearly 40 historic sites around Washington, D.C., including Arlington National Cemetery, the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.
“There are several veterans groups that are the principal plaintiffs at this point and their argument is that the President has not secured authority from Congress to build in this particular landscape and that the President does require that authority,” said Greg Werkheiser, founding partner at Cultural Heritage Partners.
Virginia Congressman Don Beyer (D- VA), who represents part of northern Virginia, shared on X: “Putting a drone launching site directly in the landing path for DCA is a stupid, dangerous, and unworkable idea. 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.”
The President’s new plan for a combined military complex and memorial arch shares the same national security rationale that was used to defend the ballroom construction at the White House. We asked the White House for a comment, but they referred us to the President’s comments on the arch.
“”For us, it doesn’t so matter that it’s an arch, it doesn’t matter that it’s this President’s arch. What matters is whether the proponents have followed the law because if they don’t follow the law in the process in this very visible project, it sets a precedent for other projects not just in Washington but around the country,” said Werkheiser.
