President Donald Trump announced Sept. 20 that his 250-foot triumphal arch planned for the D.C. area would also be a military complex.
The project, planned for Memorial Circle along the Potomac River near Arlington National Cemetery, faces legal battles, but the Trump administration is set to start digging shortly.
"I have agreed to convert the magnificent Triumphal 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," Trump said on Truth Social.
The arch is one of several projects that Trump has taken on in the nation's capital during his
second term, and like the others, has proven controversial. Here is what to know about the latest on the arch.
Lawsuit attempts to prevent arch construction
In February, a group of Vietnam veterans and a historian filed a lawsuit in opposition of the arch, arguing that Congress had not approved the structure nor had it gone through other procedures for a monument in the nation's capital.
"Its location on Memorial Circle would situate the monument on an axis between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, obstructing a line of sight that was designed to represent the unification of the Nation following the Civil War and that has existed for nearly a century," they wrote in the lawsuit. "By statute, congressional approval is required for construction of symbolic and commemorative works in the Nation’s capital."
Trump has argued that he does not need Congressional approval, and the president's legal team responded in court by saying that the lawsuit was based on preliminary discussions of the arch. The proposed arch is also awaiting final approval from the National Capital Planning Commission, which would need to grant an exception to a 130-foot building height limit. The group approved the preliminary site and building plans in July, despite over 1,500 mostly negative public comments on it.
When will the arch construction begin?
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum announced plans on Sept. 3 to break ground at the site of the arch within weeks.
“We are preparing to start, over the next two-week period, the excavation work necessary for the Great Triumphal Arch and Military Observation Deck, at Memorial Circle on Columbia Island between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery,” Burgum wrote on X. “This will be one of the Great Pieces of American Architecture, honoring the history and significance of Arlington Cemetery and befitting the most powerful Capital in the World.”
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, presiding over the case brought by the veterans, ordered the Trump administration on Friday, Sept. 4, to provide 48 hours’ notice before moving forward with work on the site.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit had asked Chutkan on Sept. 4 to issue a 14-day restraining order to block the Trump administration from “taking any steps to construct or to direct or facilitate construction of any structure in Memorial Circle."
Despite Burgum’s announcement, the government argued in a court filing that the planned activity at the site of the proposed arch is standard archaeological survey work. The administration intends to mechanically excavate four test pits no earlier than Sept. 21 and the land is expected to be restored by Oct. 31, per the filing.
“This activity is not construction, or demolition in preparation for construction, of an arch,” the government said.
Where is the triumphal arch planned?
The arch is planned for Memorial Circle, located within Lady Bird Johnson Park, a man-made park across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial.
What other DC projects has Trump started?
Trump has made DC-based projects a major effort of his second term, including:
- The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
- The White House ballroom
- The Rose Garden patio
- A new helipad at the White House
Contributing: Jay Stahl, Bart Jansen, Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA TODAY
Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at KCrowley@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X (Twitter), Threads, Bluesky and TikTok.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trump says DC arch will be military complex, too. Why veterans are suing
