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source_url: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-arch-drones-snipers-9.7351306
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[World](/news/world)
Trump says proposed triumphal arch near White House would house drones, snipers
Controversial arch planned near Arlington National Cemetery in Washington would double as 'military complex'
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday the triumphal arch he plans to build near Arlington National Cemetery in Washington would double as a "military complex" housing drones and snipers, as well as storing large quantities of ammunition.
The president cited national security concerns for the move, echoing the rationale offered for the roughly $400-million US ballroom complex being built on the site of the White House's former East Wing, which was demolished to make way for the project. He did not identify any specific threats.
The projects are part of Trump's ambitious effort to reshape Washington, including a push to [add his name](https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/kennedy-center-trump-renovation-demolition-judge-9.7348394) to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The plans have drawn criticism from preservationists and others who argue they could alter or diminish historic landmarks.
In a social media post, Trump said that at the "strong request" of the military he had agreed to turn the 76-metre arch "into a top grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch, to 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."
The White House and the Department of War did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Federal Aviation Administration said last week that the arch would not pose a hazard to aircraft but would be required to have an "eternal flame" on top, clearing an aviation hurdle for the arch, which Trump proposed to mark the nation's 250th anniversary.
Aviation experts have raised safety concerns given its proximity to Reagan Washington National Airport, while veterans have sued to block the arch, arguing it would destroy the historic sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
The arch faces other legal challenges. Though the arch has received early approval from the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were all tapped by Trump, a group of three veterans and an architectural historian sued, saying the project needs to be approved by Congress.
"The President's belated efforts to manufacture a national security justification for this project do nothing to cure its fundamental illegality," Nicolas Sansone, one of the attorneys representing the litigants, said Sunday. "Congress has not authorized the arch, and unless and until Congress does so, the project should not be permitted to move forward."
The arch is proposed for a circle adjacent to the Memorial Bridge, which is a heavy traffic area as one of a handful of connecting bridges between the nation's capital and northern Virginia.
The project is one of several projects that the Republican president is pursuing to leave his lasting imprint on Washington. Among the others are the White House ballroom, renaming and renovating the Kennedy Center, refurbishing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and rebuilding a golf course in East Potomac Park that could significantly reduce the public's access to running and biking paths.
With files from The Associated Press