New Bill Mandates Adding Donald Trump to Mount Rushmore: Massive Engineering Project Proposed for National Memorial

This bill is as straightforward as it gets: it directs the Secretary of the Interior and the Director of the National Park Service to arrange for the carving of President Donald J. Trump’s face into the granite of Mount Rushmore. There is no fine print about environmental studies or feasibility assessments here; Section 1 simply mandates that the federal government move forward with adding a fifth figure to the existing lineup of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln. It’s a direct order to change one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world.

Breaking New Ground

If you’ve ever been to a construction site or even just hired a contractor for a kitchen remodel, you know that big changes take big resources. Carving a new face into a mountain isn't just about artistic vision; it’s a massive engineering undertaking. Under this bill, the National Park Service would have to pivot from its usual duties—like maintaining trails and protecting wildlife—to managing a high-stakes, multi-year blasting and sculpting project. For the average visitor, this could mean long-term closures, scaffolding obscuring the view, and a significant shift in how the park’s budget is spent. Instead of fixing crumbling infrastructure in other parks, a chunk of federal funding would likely be redirected to the heavy machinery and specialized labor required to reshape the Black Hills.

The Future of the Landmark

Beyond the immediate construction dust, this bill changes the long-standing status of Mount Rushmore as a finished historical work. For decades, the memorial has been treated as a completed tribute to a specific era of American history. By reopening the mountain for a new addition, the bill sets a precedent that national monuments are dynamic spaces that can be updated to reflect modern political figures. This move could fundamentally change how we view our protected lands—shifting them from permanent historical sites to spaces that can be physically altered by whichever administration or legislative body is currently in power.

Costs and Conservation

While the bill doesn't attach a specific price tag, history gives us a hint that this wouldn't be cheap. The original carving took 14 years and cost about $1 million in 1941 dollars—adjusting that for modern safety standards, specialized engineering, and inflation suggests a massive taxpayer investment. For people who live near the monument or work in the local tourism industry, this could be a double-edged sword. While it might draw curious crowds, it also risks the structural integrity of the mountain itself. Preservationists often point out that the granite has natural fractures; adding a new carving involves precision blasting that could impact the existing four presidents. For future generations, the bill means inheriting a monument that looks very different from the one in the history books, raising questions about where the line is drawn for altering national treasures.