At the intersection of monument and militarism, President Trump has announced that a planned triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery will serve not merely as symbol but as fortress — housing drones, snipers, and ammunition in what he calls an unprecedented military complex. The project, tied to the 250th anniversary of American independence, reflects a recurring tension in democratic societies between the desire to commemorate and the impulse to fortify. Washington, long without a triumphal arch among world capitals, may yet receive one — though what it ultimately celebrates remains an