# Trump's arch becomes a military complex > Trump rebranded his D.C. monument as national security infrastructure, echoing a strategy used for the White House ballroom. - Title: Trump's arch becomes a military complex · TIME | Shortify - Summary: Trump rebranded his D.C. monument as national security infrastructure, echoing a strategy used for the White House ballroom. By invoking national security… - Keywords: donald trump, triumphal arch, washington dc, national security, white house ballroom, presidential power, congress authorization, military infrastructure, memorial circle, constitutional law, Trump's, arch - Source: TIME — https://time.com/article/2026/09/20/why-trumps-building-projects-national-security - Author: Rebecca Schneid - Published: 2026-09-20T19:13:43+00:00 - Read time: 3 min - Topics: donald trump, triumphal arch, washington dc, national security, white house ballroom, presidential power, congress authorization, military infrastructure, memorial circle, constitutional law ## Trump's arch gets military makeover Trump announced his planned 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington Memorial Bridge will now house drones, ammunition storage, and sniper facilities. He claims it will be unlike any facility in the world. > There will be no facility like this anywhere in the World. ## From monument to military site Trump first unveiled the arch in October 2025 as a commemoration of America's 250th anniversary. Now he says the military changes came at the request of the U.S. Military for national security purposes. ## D.C. needs a triumphal arch, Trump says Trump claims Washington is the only major world capital without a triumphal arch among 59 top cities. He did not identify which cities he meant or explain his comparison. > 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 ## The ballroom precedent Trump's White House ballroom was initially pitched as a private venue for state dinners. In court, his administration reframed it as a military complex vital to national security to bypass congressional restrictions. ## Ballroom halted, then revived A judge halted the 400 million dollar ballroom in March unless Congress authorized it. The administration argued the security exception allowed it to continue as a military complex. The Supreme Court stayed the injunction in August. > Every day the President does not have access to the vital security features of the military complex presents unacceptable risk. ## Democrats call arch a vanity project House Democrats introduced a bill to block the arch and any triumphal arch over 50 feet on National Park Service lands without congressional approval. They called it unnecessary spending during an affordability crisis. ## Veterans sue to stop construction Vietnam War veterans and a historian sued to block the arch, arguing it disrupts historic sightlines between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. They say it requires congressional authorization. > Congress has not authorized the arch, and unless and until Congress does so, building the arch on Memorial Circle is unlawful. ## National security expands presidential power Law professor Kimberly Wehle explains that invoking national security allows presidents to argue Congress has less authority to constrain them. Administrations have used this for decades to expand executive power. ## Bush set the precedent After 9/11, the Bush administration argued Congress could not limit the president's military and national security decisions. Though the Supreme Court ruled against some claims in 2006, it left broader presidential power intact. ## Trump could have asked Congress Republicans control both chambers of Congress. Trump could have sought approval for the ballroom and arch but chose instead to invoke military justification, which Wehle says makes it easier for courts to accept unlimited presidential power. ## Monument and military don't mix Architect and law professor Sara Bronin says she knows of no other structures that serve as both commemorative monuments and military infrastructure. She calls the two purposes fundamentally incompatible. > It seems crazy to include national security infrastructure in a site that is intended to be used by the general public and is intended to be a tourist attraction. ## Park Service acknowledges damage The National Park Service prepared a memo acknowledging the arch will harm historic sites and views. It concluded the arch cannot be located elsewhere but proposed interpretive signs to mitigate damage. The memo did not account for military infrastructure. ## Military plans still secret Trump has not released detailed plans showing how military infrastructure would be incorporated into the arch. The administration has not presented the military rationale to the court, leaving the legal significance unresolved. ## Judge orders notice before work Judge Tanya Chutkan ordered the administration to give 48 hours notice before arch-related activity and required 14 days notice before construction. She denied the Justice Department's request to remove the 48-hour requirement. ## A test of presidential power Both the ballroom and arch started as civic projects, then became military ones amid legal disputes. Together they test how much additional authority a president gains by recasting building projects as military infrastructure. ## Key takeaway By invoking national security, Trump may be able to bypass Congress and expand presidential power over construction projects.