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Trump says his planned triumphal arch will double as a military complex to store ammunition

Grace Eliza Goodwin
A look at the design plans for Trump's triumphal arch as proposed in April

US President Donald Trump has said his proposed triumphal arch will double as a complex to store military equipment, complete with the ability to deploy snipers and drones.

In a Sunday morning post, Trump said he is updating the plans at the "strong request" of the US military and for "national security purposes".

The "top grade" military complex and arch will "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", he said.

He did not provide details on construction plans or timing, and it's not clear if he needs further approval for the facility.

News imageGetty Images Trump holding up a tiny model of a triumphal arch in the White HouseGetty Images

"There will be no facility like this anywhere in the World," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. He added that out of "the 59 top cities and Capitals", Washington DC is "the only one in the world that does not have a triumphal arch", without specifying what those cities are.

Construction on Trump's 250-foot arch, planned for a site across the Potomac River from Washington DC just outside the Arlington National Cemetery, was expected to begin this month.

A rendering of the design from earlier this year includes a golden, winged Lady Liberty on the top of the arch, flanked by two gold eagles, and with the phrases "One Nation Under God" and "Liberty and Justice for All" inscribed in gold on either side of the structure. It will stand 250-feet (76m) from its base to the top of the golden lady statue.

At that height, the structure would dwarf the 99-foot Lincoln Memorial nearby and be half as high as the Washington Monument.

News imageSatellite image with 3D buildings visible showing a model of the proposed Triumphal Arch in Washington DC, positioned south of the Potomac River at the end of Arlington Memorial Bridge. The Lincoln Memorial, on the other side of the bridge, the Washington Monument, further to the east, and the White House, to the north east, are all labelled.
Plans for the arch from earlier this year feature a golden, winged Lady Liberty on the top, flanked by two gold eagles.

The BBC has contacted the Department of Defence for more information on the updated plans.

Trump has pursued a number of construction projects during his second term to revamp the US capital, including a gilded makeover of the Oval Office, constructing a White House ballroom estimated to cost around $400m, paving over the White House Rose Garden, and renovating the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

The triumphal arch is one of the biggest projects Trump has set his sights on.