Trump announces Triumphal Arch will serve as ‘military complex’
by Susan Ferrechio · The Washington TimesPresident Trump said Sunday he has “agreed to convert” the planned Triumphal Arch between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial into “a top grade Military Complex” for storing weapons and drones and for positioning snipers.
Mr. Trump posted on social media that the changes were requested by the military “and for national security purposes.”
The proposed Triumphal Arch, under construction on the Memorial Circle in Arlington, is a 250-foot stone and granite-clad structure that will be topped with three golden statues commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The arch has drawn opposition and a lawsuit from opponents who say it will dwarf existing monuments and detract from Arlington National Cemetery, located a half-mile away. The left-wing watchdog group Public Citizen represents veterans and an architect suing to block the arch.
Mr. Trump on Sunday reframed the arch’s construction as a national security project, which he said will “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.”
“There will be no facility like this anywhere in the World,” the president added.
Mr. Trump cited national security to prevail over opponents who sought to block his rebuilding of the White House East Wing — a 90,000-square-foot project that includes an ornate, 22,000-square-foot ballroom, new office space and an underground military bunker.
Mr. Trump, who has survived several assassination attempts, argued the ballroom project is critical for boosting security and will include a “drone-proof” ceiling, blast-proof glass, bomb shelters, missile-resistant columns and “top secret military facilities.”
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Last month, the US. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 against the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s lawsuit to stop construction of the ballroom. The majority noted the Trump administration’s argument that the East Wing facility is “crucial” to the security of the underground military complex.
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Susan Ferrechio
sferrechio@washingtontimes.com
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