Trump Aides Defend 250-Foot Arch in Court as Anti-Drone Security Asset
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 28
Trump Aides Defend 250-Foot Arch in Court as Anti-Drone Security Asset
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 28
Summary
Two senior Trump officials filed sworn statements in federal court saying the planned 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington is needed to protect the United States from drone attacks.
Pete Hegseth and homeland security secretary Markwayne Mullin argued the structure's height offers a "significant elevation advantage" and could host anti-drone capabilities without changing the current design.
The national-security rationale surfaced as litigation threatens to block the project, even though the administration's initial proposal for the arch did not cite security needs.
Their filings recast the monument plan as defense infrastructure, a shift likely to shape the court fight over whether the project can proceed.