People think Trump using 'national security' as an excuse for yet another vanity project | indy100

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Donald Trump has been accused of using “national security” as an excuse for yet another vanity project.

Throughout his presidency, Trump has steadily been trying to put his name to things (such as the Kennedy Center) and make large-scale changes to historical sites in what people think is an effort to be remembered.

For Trump’s controversial ballroom, he had part of the existing, historic White House structure knocked down and claimed that he needed a ballroom as a matter of “national security” – a claim the Senate ruled against after the Republicans proposed $1 billion in taxpayer funds, despite Trump’s claims the build was being privately paid for.

Now, Trump has set his sights on his proposed 250-foot tall Triumphal Arch, near Arlington Memorial Bridge in Washington DC, suggesting that it is now to be converted into a “top grade Military Complex” to house “drones” and “snipers”.

In the Truth Social post, Trump claimed: “At the strong request of the United States Military, and for National Security purposes, I have agreed to convert the magnificent Triumphal Arch, planned since the Civil War Era many years ago, at the Receptive Circle adjoining the Arlington Memorial Bridge, into a top grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch, to 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.”

With the announcement, many noted it’s not the first time he has linked “national security” to controversial works.

“Oh thank God! A military complex triumphal arch to go with our military complex ballroom! We’re saved!!” someone mocked.

Another person questioned: “Why do we need to build a massive triumphal arch for sniper ammo and drones? We don’t have any place else that those can be stored?”

They also suggested: “Just like with the ballroom, another scam by Trump to turn this into a ‘military complex’ to prevent the courts from intervening by using ‘national security’ as his excuse for vanity projects.”

Someone else pointed out: “I’m genuinely confused, why does he want to put snipers on an arch in a random suburban park?”

“Also, I’m going to assume that ‘at the strong request of the military’ is not something that happened. Pete Hegseth saying ‘great idea sir’ does not count,” another suggested.

“Literally no one asked for any of this s**t,” one person added.

Another pointed out: “That is not a normal feature of a ceremonial monument. It raises obvious questions about why a president would want a heavily fortified structure like that in the capital, especially one designed with weapons and sniper positions built into it.”

Washington Post journalist Dan Diamond wrote: “I’ve covered Trump’s arch for nearly a year. I’ve watched officials reveal their plans to federal commissions and tracked them in court.

“Nobody, until today, made any suggestion it would be a ‘military complex.’ But Trump has used a similar strategy to defend his ballroom.”

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