Trump wants snipers and ammunition inside a 250-foot monument — but new plans leave them out

Trump wants snipers and ammunition inside a 250-foot monument — but new plans leave them out New Interior Department documents on President Donald Trump's proposed Triumphal Arch don’t mention the “military complex” he has said it would host, but the agency said Monday the plan could accommodate such a feature - Bookmark Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in Newly released Interior Department records on President Donald Trump's proposed Triumphal Arch omit any mention of the "military complex" he claimed it would house, though the agency said Monday the site could still accommodate such features. Set for discussion at a meeting scheduled two days after the Nov. 3 midterm election, the latest planning materials reflect the Republican president's drive to leave a lasting footprint in Washington. The filings feature site maps and visual renderings of the arch, which is planned to reach a height of 250 feet (76 meters). In response to questions from the National Capital Planning Commission about the monument's size, the National Park Service—a bureau of the Interior Department—cited the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary. "The proposed Triumphal Arch is the celebratory contribution of the semiquincentennial generation of Americans," the agency wrote. The documentation makes no specific mention of a military complex at the site. In September, Trump said he had agreed to a request from the military to turn the monument into a "top grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch" that would store ammunition and drones while providing space for snipers. An Interior Department spokesperson noted in an emailed statement that the structure could host those capabilities despite their absence from the explicit plans. "The current design of the Triumphal Arch is capable of accommodating the national security functions — and more — highlighted in the President’s Truth Social post," the unidentified spokesperson said in an emailed statement. The proposed arch would sit at a circle adjacent to the Memorial Bridge, connecting the capital to northern Virginia. Like several other Washington initiatives Trump has championed, the proposal faces legal challenges. Additional projects include a White House ballroom, renaming and renovating the Kennedy Center, and rebuilding a golf course in East Potomac Park that could substantially limit public access to cycling and running paths. Critics of the arch argue that its scale is excessive and would sever the sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, a landmark vista designed to symbolize post-Civil War national reunification. [Image text:] LIBERTY EOP AL