Donald Trump has dismissed all six members of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts — the federal board that oversees architectural design and aesthetics in Washington, D.C. — just weeks after breaking ground on his controversial new White House ballroom.
According to a White House spokesperson, the shake-up is part of Trump’s plan to “appoint a new slate of members more aligned with President Trump’s America First policies.”
The firings come amid major construction on the White House grounds, including the demolition of the East Wing to make way for a massive 90,000-square-foot ballroom. The project has sparked outrage among preservationists and historians, but Trump has brushed off the criticism, calling the sound of bulldozers “music to my ears.”
“You probably hear the beautiful sound of construction,” Trump told reporters earlier this month. “That’s music to my ears. I love that sound. Other people don’t like it — I love it. It reminds me of money.”
Trump’s new ballroom project is just one piece of his sweeping architectural vision for the capital. He recently signed an executive order titled “Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again,” mandating that new federal buildings in Washington adopt classical designs inspired by ancient Greece and Rome.
The White House defended the decision to remove the current Fine Arts commissioners — all Biden-era appointees — claiming the move was consistent with past precedent. (Biden himself replaced several Trump appointees when he took office.)
Still, the backlash to Trump’s latest move has been fierce.
Critics online accused the former president of “tearing down history” and using taxpayer resources to build a “vanity monument.” One viral post read, “Trump’s ‘grand ballroom’ is just the latest brick in his wall of ego — demolishing not just the White House, but the soul of the nation.”
Others speculated that the extensive White House renovations suggest Trump “doesn’t plan on leaving anytime soon.”
Meanwhile, a seven-foot fence has been erected around the East Wing, blocking most of the demolition work from public view — but not from the growing public scrutiny surrounding Trump’s latest White House makeover.
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You and your “whatever make beautiful again”, Trump. Get a life
I believe replacing members of the Fine Arts is a perfectly healthy and reasonable action if it is his authority to do so! I am disgusted with objections that have no official authority to do so. Someone wrote “get a life”. That is a thought of a thoroughly self centered person who wishes they could usurp a decision of The President of the United States. If there is anyone who “get a life” applies to is that, and others who actually think their opinion counts for more than 2 cents!
Thank you President Trump for leading us out of the miserable swamp!!! MAGA
No outrage when Biden fired Trump appointees on this same board! What a double standard!!
And in fact focusing on classical architecture is in line with the original vision for DC, so what’s the issue??
Another wasted article about nothing from next gen