A ‘generational defense opportunity’: Hegseth offers full-throated endorsement of Trump’s arch amid legal battle – CNN

A ‘generational defense opportunity’: Hegseth offers full-throated endorsement of Trump’s arch amid legal battle  CNN

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a federal judge that President Donald Trump’s proposed triumphal arch is a “generational national defense opportunity” in a legal briefing arguing the project is vital to protecting the nation’s capital. Originally proposed as a monument to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday, Trump last month debuted a new justification for building it, saying it would double as a tourist attraction and military complex where drones and ammunition could be stored and military snipers could be posted. The surprise proposal for this additional use of the 250-foot arch came as the project – a personal endeavor of the president that has become a key part of his legacy – faces a slew of criticism and two lawsuits aimed at stopping its construction.

In a written declaration submitted Wednesday, Hegseth defended Trump’s new rationale for the planned structure at Memorial Circle, a busy traffic circle between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The location overlooks major national sites that are frequented by federal officials and its height will create elevation advantage and line-of-sight connectivity, while its central location will improve the ability to identify and assess potential threats, Hegseth argued. “It will be utilized as a dual-purpose structure: a major national monument that also incorporates military utility to support Homeland defense,” he said. “The elevated position