Trump aims to leave a physical legacy in D.C., bulldozing norms along the way

President Trump has spent his second term physically remaking Washington, D.C., casting himself as "builder-in-chief." Major changes include tearing down the White House East Wing for a larger ballroom, installing a South Lawn helipad and paving over the Rose Garden, and having the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool repainted "American flag blue" — a plan originally slated for two weeks that has dragged on for months. He has also had statues installed and restored, proposed a "national heroes" sculpture garden for West Potomac Park, moved to overhaul the East Potomac Golf Links, pushed to attach his name to the Kennedy Center or have it torn down, and is advancing a 250-foot arch near Arlington National Cemetery now framed as a military complex, according to NPR.

The initiatives have triggered lawsuits, protests and a wave of critical public comments. Attorney Greg Werkheiser, whose law firm is involved in litigation against several of the projects, said Trump's sense of self-worth appears tied to being seen as a builder. Trump told New York Magazine that "nobody will do it once I'm gone," suggesting he is racing to secure his mark on the capital. White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said Trump is fulfilling campaign promises while working to keep the White House and the capital "properly glorified."

Barbara Res, who led Trump Organization construction in the 1980s, said Trump has long cut corners but now answers to no one as president. She called Trump Tower, marred by a historic preservation dispute before it opened, his most consequential building.

Summarized by PolitiKool from NPR’s reporting. Read the full story at NPR →