Hegseth, Mullin call Trump’s arch a ‘generational defense opportunity’

President Trump’s proposed triumphal arch would be a “generational defense opportunity,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin have argued in court declarations.

Critics have dismissed Trump’s attempts to link the arch to national security needs as a smokescreen to push through a divisive construction project.

In filings submitted to a federal court on Wednesday, Hegseth and Mullin said the arch intended for erection between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial was needed to keep the U.S. safe from drone attacks and to serve as a base for snipers.

“The arch is a generational national defense opportunity to mitigate these evolving threats,” Hegseth said, adding that the arch’s proposed 250-foot height would give a “significant elevation advantage” as it could enhance “lines of sight from both sensors and personnel.”

“It will be utilized as a dual-purpose structure: a major national monument that also incorporates military utility to support Homeland defense,” he said.

Mullin, meanwhile, told the court the arch would “incorporate a number of features that will support national security” and could be used by the Secret Service to beef up security for senior government officials.

Both men claim the design of the arch didn’t need to be changed to convert it into a base for counter-drone operations, which would require new regulatory reviews by relevant agencies.

“The implementation of the capabilities discussed in this declaration would not require any structural modifications or alterations to the existing plans for the arch,” Hegseth said.

Trump, in his initial proposal of the arch last October, said the monument was meant to honor “me.” The administration later insisted the arch is in honor of the United States’s 250th anniversary and a tourist attraction — until last month.

The president in a September Truth Social post claimed the structure would be a “top grade Military Complex” used to “house, store, and have the rapid ability to use large numbers of drones, plus Snipers, on both the roof and plaza areas,” as well as store “large quantities” of ammunition.

The abrupt announcement came amid opposition to the project, with Democrats and veterans groups opposing its proximity to Arlington and the disruption it will cause to burials during construction and after its completion. The project is expected to take at least three years.

Opponents of the project say Trump is abusing the national security justification, as he did with construction of the White House ballroom. The president has insisted the ballroom is necessary for national security as it will include a military complex underneath.

Trump, however, asserted the changes to the arch were being made at the “strong request” of the U.S. military.

The changes called into question whether the National Park Service’s proposals for the structure — approved in May by the heavily Trump-appointed Commission of Fine Arts — would need to be resubmitted, which would slow the project.

Final site plans for the arch do not mention the military features Trump said he would add to the project, according to documentation the Interior Department submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission.

The National Capital Planning Commission, also led by Trump allies, will ultimately give final approval, a decision slated for next week.

There is also a Friday hearing set to decide whether the White House has authority to build the arch at the intended location. The Justice Department has told the federal court that the administration could begin construction as early as Nov. 5, after the commission’s vote.