# Trump's triumphal arch gets a military makeover

> Trump's 250-foot monument near the National Mall is now being pitched as a drone port and sniper platform for national security.
- Title: Trump's triumphal arch gets a military makeover · Vox
- Summary: Trump's 250-foot monument near the National Mall is now being pitched as a drone port and sniper platform for national security. Trump uses national security…
- Keywords: donald trump, triumphal arch, national mall, military complex, drone port, sniper platform, national security, white house, karoline leavitt, supreme court, lincoln memorial, arlington national cemetery
- Source: Vox — https://vox.com/the-logoff-newsletter-trump/503463/trump-triumphal-arch-military-complex-snipers-drones-national-security
- Author: Cameron Peters
- Published: 2026-09-21T22:10:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: donald trump, triumphal arch, national mall, military complex, drone port, sniper platform, national security, white house, karoline leavitt, supreme court, lincoln memorial, arlington national cemetery
## Trump's 250-foot arch gets a military twist
Trump announced his planned triumphal arch near the National Mall will now include a drone port, sniper positions, and ammunition storage for national security purposes.

> At the strong request of the United States Military, and for National Security purposes, I have agreed to convert the arch into a top grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch.
## The arch has faced major obstacles
The National Park Service determined the arch would harm nearby historical sites including the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, but the administration plans to move forward anyway.
## This mirrors his ballroom strategy
Trump used the same military complex label for his ballroom project after courts blocked it. The Supreme Court approved the ballroom last month despite lower courts ruling against it without Congressional approval.
## National security as a legal cudgel
Trump invokes national security whenever his projects face obstacles. He also recently called the media a threat to national security amid backlash to his press ban.
## Congress never approved either project
Trump lacks Congressional approval for both the arch and the ballroom, yet the Supreme Court's recent ballroom decision suggests his national security framing may succeed again.
## Key takeaway

Trump uses national security justifications to bypass legal obstacles to his pet projects, a pattern that worked for his ballroom and now his arch.