A Democratic lawmaker said on Tuesday that President Donald Trump's plan to base military drones at his proposed triumphal arch near Reagan Washington National Airport would require the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct a new safety analysis.

US Representative Don Beyer of Virginia argued that stationing a large number of drones at the proposed 250-foot arch would threaten aviation safety. He called the idea "stupid, dangerous, and unworkable."

Trump said on Sunday that, at the request of the military, he would convert the arch into a military complex capable of deploying drones and positioning snipers.

The regulatory record is already contested. The FAA cleared the structure as safe for aviation last week, but that review did not contemplate drone operations at the site. The agency did not immediately comment on Tuesday.

The FAA determination rests on specific conditions. Last week the agency said the arch would not pose a hazard to aircraft as long as the structure is topped with an "eternal flame." The determination requires the arch to carry a light on top of the structure and floodlight projectors pointed at it to make it noticeable to pilots.

The FAA also dropped an earlier requirement for red obstruction lights, which the agency generally mandates on buildings above 200 feet near airports — a threshold the 555-foot Washington Monument nearby meets.

Some aviation experts have raised safety concerns given the arch's proximity to the airport's main approach and departure corridor.

The arch forms part of Trump's broader push to remake Washington, including renovating the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, redeveloping a golf course in East Potomac Park and adding his name to the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts. Preservationists say the projects would alter some of the capital's most prominent historic landmarks.

Litigation is already underway. Veterans have sued to block the arch, arguing it would destroy the historic sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.

With the FAA's existing determination silent on unmanned aircraft operations and Beyer demanding a fresh analysis, any move to deploy military drones at the site will face a new regulatory and legal test before the plan can proceed.