# Trump's arch becomes a military weapon

> The president wants his DC monument to house drones, snipers, and massive weapons stores.
- Title: Trump's arch becomes a military weapon · Mother Jones
- Summary: The president wants his DC monument to house drones, snipers, and massive weapons stores. Trump is rebranding his controversial arch as a national security…
- Keywords: donald trump, triumphal arch, washington dc, national mall, military complex, drones, snipers, national security, lawsuit, congress approval, arlington national cemetery, lincoln memorial
- Source: Mother Jones — https://motherjones.com/politics/2026/09/trump-triumphal-arch-construction-lawsuit-drones-snipers-weapons-military-complex
- Author: Alex Nguyen
- Published: 2026-09-20T17:17:18+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: donald trump, triumphal arch, washington dc, national mall, military complex, drones, snipers, national security, lawsuit, congress approval, arlington national cemetery, lincoln memorial
## Trump's 250-foot arch gets weaponized
President Trump announced his planned Triumphal Arch near the National Mall will become a military complex housing drones, snipers, and large weapons stores. He cited national security and a request from the US military.

> have the rapid ability to use large numbers of drones, plus Snipers, on both the roof and plaza areas
## The arch blocks Arlington views
The 250-foot structure would tower over the Washington Monument and block views of Arlington National Cemetery from the Lincoln Memorial. Three Vietnam War veterans sued to stop construction.
## Congress approval still missing
Trump has not secured required congressional approval for the arch. A federal judge ordered the administration to give 48 hours' notice before any construction work.
## Critics see a legal escape hatch
Rep. Don Beyer called the military plan obviously idiotic, suggesting Trump expects to lose the lawsuit and is using national security as a pretext to justify the arch.

> clearly expects to lose a lawsuit and therefore wants to set up a pretext to argue that the arch is tied to national security
## National security as a blank check
Trump has repeatedly invoked national security to justify controversial projects, from annexing Greenland to expanding data centers. Experts warn this approach makes the concept meaningless.

> If national security is everything, then national security is nothing at all
## Key takeaway

Trump is rebranding his controversial arch as a national security project to overcome legal challenges and congressional approval requirements.