A retired military officer is sounding the alarm about the dangers posed by President Donald Trump’s vanity arch.
Retired U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Steven Anderson has told a federal judge that the 80-year-old president’s proposed Washington triumphal arch will be a hotbed for terrorist activity.
Anderson, who served 31 years in the U.S. Army specializing in ordnance and logistics, said Trump’s 250-foot “Triumphal Arch and Military Complex” is “ill-conceived” and “unsupportable as described” by Trump and his sycophants, like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
Anderson served as a logistics leader in the U.S. Army for over 31 years. He served on assignments in Korea, Kuwait, Iran, Afghanistan, Germany, Hawaii, and the Pentagon.
“As part of my past experience with the U.S. military, I have overseen multiple ammunition and weapons storage and distribution facilities,” Anderson said in a court declaration. “Based on my knowledge and experience, the planned Arch is not suitable for the purported national security purposes asserted.”
He explained, “Not only is the Arch not suitable for any practical military facility, but it actually degrades security in the National Capital Region by placing a high-payoff target for our enemies just a few meters from a major road network and the traffic circle that surrounds the Arch.”
Vehicles drive past along the Memorial Bridge near Memorial Circle in Arlington, Virginia, the proposed site for U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Triumphal Arch”, seen from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 8, 2026.
The veteran posited the possible damage of having a vehicle loaded with explosives detonate beside the arch, which is planned to border a traffic circle off the National Mall.
The former commander of the 725th Main Support Battalion recalled the 1983 Beirut truck bombing that killed 251 people and the truck bombing at an FBI facility in Oklahoma in 1995 that killed 168 people as examples of horrific tragedies that may occur.
Anderson argued that it would be “wholly inappropriate” to have weapons stockpiles, explosives, and drones “in such close proximity to civilians,” noting that the military’s storage of explosives is typically highly regulated, even at designated facilities.
An artist’s rendering of U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed ‘Independence Arch’ is seen in this handout obtained on April 10, 2026.
U.S. Commission on Fine Arts/via REUTERS
Such regulations include requiring a Net Explosive Weight calculation that determines the appropriate surrounding construction to safely contain the explosive materials, he said.
“In this case, not only would the ammunition be stored in an insecure area such as a monument intended to be visited by tourists, but it would be just a few meters from a major road network,” the officer explained. “This would be considered a tremendous risk and would violate every ammunition storage regulation of which I am aware.”
Demonstrators protest Trump’s proposed triumphal arch and its kooky proposed additions.
Anderson argued that plans for the arch to house snipers and launch drones were also concerning, noting the potential for hackers to jam drones in a civilian area that is also near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
“In my professional opinion, the proposed Arch raises substantial national security risks that far exceed the purported benefits identified by Secretary Mullin and Secretary Hegseth,” he said.
Anderson rejected Trump and Hegseth’s assertions that the arch is in the best interests of American citizens.
He added, “I strongly believe that the Arch would pose a significant risk to the National Capital Region by providing a huge target to would-be terrorists.”
The White House did not respond to an email seeking comment.
Anderson’s comments supported a lawsuit filed by Vietnam War veteran Michael Lemmon, who sued the administration to block the arch’s construction.
Lemmon, the lead plaintiff in the suit, appeared on CNN Wednesday night to rebuke Trump’s notion that the arch was intended to honor veterans like him.
The Vietnam vet said the Trump administration has “gaslighted” veterans for too long.
“We continue to be gaslighted by him and the administration,” he told host Erin Burnett. “Nobody believes, frankly, anything he says anymore. It has no credibility. We can all see through it.”
He added, “Each new excuse that comes up is just designed to move his personal vanity project forward, and it is disrespectful to veterans.”
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