Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a monumental sculpture etched into the face of the Black Hills of South Dakota. The stone eyes of former Presidents of the United States’ George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln gaze out over the greater region. This is one of the most iconic landmarks in The United States; despite it being constructed approximately eighty years ago, there is speculation that the White House has looked into adding Donald Trump’s face to the iconic sculpture.
Kristi Noem, South Dakota’s Republican governor, claims that upon their first meeting in the Oval Office after his inauguration, Donald Trump told her that it was his “dream” to have his face etched into Mount Rushmore. When she laughed, his face was completely serious, suggesting that this was not a joke.
However, Trump commented at a rally in Youngstown, Ohio when prompted on the topic:
“I’d ask whether or not you think I will someday be on Mount Rushmore, but here’s the problem: If I did it joking, totally joking, having fun, the fake news media will say ‘he believes he should be on Mount Rushmore… So I won’t say it, OK? I won’t say it.”
Last month during the Fourth of July, Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump took a trip to Mount Rushmore to celebrate Independence Day. During the celebration, the President was presented with a four-foot sized replica of Mount Rushmore interposed with his face.
According to the The National Parks and Wildlife Service, the structure isn’t solid enough to have another face constructed. One of the reasons this idea wouldn’t be entertained is because, in the words of Mount Rushmore National Memorial Chief of Interpretation and Education Maureen McGee-Ballinger:
The four Presidents were chosen to represent the first 150 years of the history of the United States – the birth, growth and preservation of our country.
Because of these factors, the addition of any new figures to Mount Rushmore is not feasible nor is it necessary to reflect American history. This was a rather subtle, but final case closed.
Thankfully, President Trump continues to deny ever making these allegations or having The White House look into the matter.
