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Hegseth backs Trump's arch as a 'generational national defense…

Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin filed sworn declarations backing the arch, and a planning commission reviews it next Thursday; the drones and snipers remain unspotted.

Photo: Pete Hegseth
Photo: U.S. Department of Defense · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

At a glance

The real story

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What BBN said about it

  1. Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorI've got it, Vera. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth swore in a filing that the arch is a generational national defense opportunity.

  2. Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorAnd the security features are fully integrated into the existing design, with no structural changes needed. That's a press office doing its job.

  3. Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorCNN reports the plans leave out the drones and snipers Trump described in September. So where are they?

  4. Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorIntegrated, Hank. I assume the briefing says the snipers are in the stone, and the stone is on message.

  5. Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorFederal prosecutors say the defense concerns plainly outweigh the plaintiffs' aesthetic interests. And Hegseth won't be expected to answer questions in court about it.

  6. Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorHe's busy defending.

  7. Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorRating: Full Bonkers. A sworn defense base nobody can find on the plans.

  8. Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorIt's back Monday, same time, and the arch is two hundred fifty feet tall, the one thing in this case that has been fully seen.

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The story so far

  1. Obama jokes about Hegseth's hair and testosterone in Ohio · The Hill
  2. Ousting Hegseth 'priority No. 1' if Democrats retake House, Crow says · Washington Examiner
  3. Trump hits LeBron over anthem; Massie eyes Hegseth impeachment · Yahoo Sports
  4. Hegseth fires general accused of leaking to press · The New York Times
  5. General ousted by Hegseth referred for criminal prosecution · The Washington Post
  6. Hegseth backs Trump's arch as a 'generational national defense… (this story)

From the archive: everything BBN aired on Friday, October 30, 2026 · the U.S. archive · all months