Trump says his arch will have “sniper or shooter capability” days before its final review

Most monuments are for looking at. Donald Trump’s arch, he says, will look back.

At his election-eve speech at the Lincoln Memorial, Trump said he’s going for final approval of the arch by Arlington Bridge, then described what he calls “the triumphal arc military complex.” It’s “going to have tremendous drone capability,” he said, and he would say “sniper or shooter capability.” Then: “Its height, its platforms, its storage capacity is incredible. It’s right smack in the middle of everything.” It’s also more beautiful than the Arc de Triomphe, he said.

The drones and snipers are his plan, on his say-so. He first floated them on Truth Social in September, and CNN reported that its sources were surprised. The Washington Post later reported officials telling advocacy groups they knew of no specific plans for a military complex. The National Capital Planning Commission has the final site and building plans on its Nov. 5 agenda. On Monday, per AP, a federal judge set notification deadlines before any work can begin.

And the size keeps growing in his telling. On Oct. 31 it was “slightly larger, not a lot larger.” Now “the size is about 20 percent larger.” The arch would rise 250 feet, per the NCPC, against about 164 for the one in Paris, per Time. By our math, that’s about 52 percent taller. He didn’t say what his 20 percent measures.