Trump: Triumphal Arch to Double as Military Complex
The Spin
Pro-government narrative
Washington stands alone among the world's great capitals without a triumphal arch, while London, Paris, Rome and Madrid have showcased theirs for generations. After 125 years of waiting, the plans are finally underway, and the nation's capital deserves nothing less than the most beautiful arch on the planet. It will be a gift for the American people to enjoy for decades to come.
Government-critical narrative
Stuffing a monument with drones and snipers at the gateway to Arlington Cemetery turns a place of mourning into a military fortress, all in service to Trump's ego by using the same national security trick to dodge the courts that the administration used to push the ballroom through. Meanwhile, real cherished monuments like the Kennedy Center and the Lincoln Memorial pool are left to rot at this president's whim.
