President Donald Trump on Sunday said his proposed 250-foot triumphal arch will now be a "top grade" military complex that will house drones, snipers and ammunition.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that he has agreed to convert the arch "at the strong request" of the U.S. military, and "for National Security purposes."
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The "Military Complex/Triumphal Arch" near Arlington National Cemetery 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," Trump wrote. "There will be no facility like this anywhere in the World."
Trump's new claims about the triumphal arch, which come as veterans groups, historic preservationists and others attempt to stop the project, resemble his arguments for the need to build a ballroom at the White House. Trump initially said the ballroom was needed to entertain guests but more recently has said it was a "desperately needed National Security structure."
The Trump administration, which plans to begin construction on the arch as soon as November, has been consulting with D.C.'s and Virginia's historic preservation offices as part of a required federal preservation process. The topic of converting the arch to a military complex has not previously been raised.
The White House did not immediately respond to questions about the president's post. The Pentagon and the Interior Department, which oversees the federal parkland where the arch would be built, did not immediately reply to requests for comment.