Trump Mount Rushmore Proposal: Will President's face get added to monument? See if it is a possibility or not

Economic Times

a day ago

AP Trump Mount Rushmore Proposal is back in news. Mount Rushmore with the four presidents' faces is the center of new political debate over potential expansion. Then-President Donald Trump stands at Mount Rushmore National Memorial on July 3, 2020, near Keystone, S.D. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
Trump Mount Rushmore Proposal has hogged the limelight again as a renewed political push has emerged to add a fifth face to Mount Rushmore, this time that of President Donald Trump. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) has formally requested that Interior Secretary Doug Burgum study the feasibility of the addition. However, experts and park officials continue to emphasize the structural and philosophical barriers.Rep. Ogles wrote a letter to Secretary Burgum urging the Department of the Interior to consider expanding the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. He pointed to Trump's domestic policy bill, which passed Congress on Thursday, and the administration's ongoing border security efforts.
Ogles also posted his proposal on social media, writing that the monument should evolve to include recent moments in US history.
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The Department of the Interior did not directly comment on the expansion proposal. A spokesperson said the agency reviews all correspondence from Congress seriously and thoroughly. The National Park Service, which manages Mount Rushmore, did not issue a fresh statement in response.
In the past, NPS officials have stressed that the rock surrounding the current sculpture is unsuitable for new carvings.Ogles acknowledged the difficulties involved in modifying Mount Rushmore. He suggested a feasibility study involving the public and experts to address technical, legal, and cultural concerns. Mount Rushmore sits on sacred Lakota Sioux land, a source of ongoing dispute with Indigenous groups.Ogles argued that recognizing Trump's accomplishments would increase the site's importance and visitor numbers, benefitting South Dakota and local communities.Park officials and geologists have repeatedly warned that the monument cannot safely accommodate another face. Maureen McGee-Ballinger of the NPS stated in 2020 that no suitable rock remains near the sculpted area.A long-standing engineering partner, RESPEC, supports this view, saying any new carving could destabilize the existing structure.Geomechanical engineer Paul Nelson said removing more material could harm the support of the monument, possibly risking structural damage.
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Mount Rushmore's original sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, made several changes to his design due to the rock's poor quality. Jefferson's first face had to be blasted away and moved. Roosevelt's face was carved in a narrow space near a crack, and Lincoln's face is held by friction.In the 1990s, scientists mapped over 140 fractures across the site, showing it is already fragile. Park rangers even angled Jefferson's gaze to avoid a fracture.Alongside Ogles, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) has introduced legislation to begin carving Trump's face on the mountain. The bill has not yet received a hearing.In past interviews, Trump expressed interest in being added to the monument. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem once said Trump told her it was his dream.However, sculptor Borglum's granddaughter said the monument was not intended to celebrate individuals but ideals. Past suggestions to include other presidents were never acted on.
What are the main reasons experts oppose adding Trump to Mount Rushmore?
Experts say the rock is unstable. Carving more faces risks damage to the existing sculpture and could make the entire structure unsafe.
Has anyone else supported adding Trump to Mount Rushmore?
Yes, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna introduced a bill in January to carve Trump's face, but it has not advanced in Congress.