Final plans for 250-foot triumphal arch omit Trump’s idea for military complex

The Trump administration has released finished designs for a 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington that leave out the military features President Donald Trump cited when he first promoted it. Documents made public by the National Capital Planning Commission call the structure a "ceremonial gateway" to the capital, with no sign of drone storage, sniper positions or ammunition. Last September, Trump had said the monument, planned across from Arlington National Cemetery, would hold all of those, according to CNN.

An Interior Department spokesperson told CNN the design can still accommodate the security functions Trump described, and said the arch will improve the experience of veterans, families of the fallen and other visitors. According to two sources, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation held a private call and indicated that any military use would be examined apart from the construction plans already moving through review. Such an examination would require a Department of Defense request, which has not arrived. Critics say this split could let the project avoid a second round of scrutiny by the main oversight commissions, which have already cleared the civilian version in whole or in part.

Summarized by PolitiKool from CNN’s reporting. Read the full story at CNN →