Mass layoffs amid the ongoing government shutdown are already underway, but the solemn tone might be falling on deaf ears in the Oval Office. Because inside the overly golden walls, a miniature mock up of President Donald Trump’s next building project sat atop the Resolute Desk on Thursday as the president’s team stood around the plans.
Trump apparently intends to build a triumphal arch across the river from the Lincoln Memorial to mark America’s 250th birthday, though no timeline or confirmation has been announced. It appears to be slightly taller than the Lincoln Memorial.
Plans were originally teased in September via X by architect Nicolas Leo Charbonneau, but with a map of the designs splayed across Trump’s desk, the plan seems to be closer to a reality.
“America needs a triumphal arch!” Charbonneau wrote via X last month, though it’s not clear if his company, Harrison Design, will be involved in the project.
But it’s not just a massive arch that the president has his eyes on. Trump’s fingerprints are slowly spreading all across Washington.
Members of Congress listen as Trump speaks at a dinner in the remodeled Rose Garden of the White House, on Sept. 5, in Washington.
On the White House grounds, the once-grassy Rose Garden has been paved over with a marble flooring. Instead of grassy knolls, reporters and guests sit at yellow and white furniture reminiscent of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.
Another project the president has underway is a $200 million ballroom, which he reportedly intends to pay for in part using the millions he has squeezed out of media giants in the past year. Through settlements, Trump has amassed nearly $90 million from the likes of Paramount, YouTube, and others he put legal pressure on.
On top of the large displays, Trump has also drastically changed the Oval Office as well.
While the changes first started to take place slowly with a few gold pieces placed throughout the room, the room is now entirely adorned with golden trim, door moldings, and just about any excuse to make it gold.
Thankfully, his style choices are approved by Vice President JD Vance’s 5-year-old son who said that gold is also his favorite color.
It’s not uncommon for presidents or first ladies to make their mark while in office, but Trump’s aggressive approach to remodeling has concerned some preservationists.
Per The New York Times, presidents have their own committee that offers advice on how to best preserve the historic White House in case of changes. And despite the rushed nature of Trump’s ballroom raising concerns, experts told the outlet that the likelihood he will heed warnings is low.
“We’re oftentimes viewed as getting in the way of progress, and I would say in this particular instance, you’ve got a lot of strong personalities and they’re under no obligation to really follow best practices as preservation puts forth,” Michael Spencer, a professor of historic preservation at the University of Mary Washington, told the outlet.
As Trump rushes to make his physical impression on the grounds, though, his impacts on policy and people might be remembered more clearly than a generic Arc de Triomphe.
