Trump dismisses the committee charged with reviewing dance hall projects
This week, the Trump White House fired all six members of the Commission of Fine Arts — a federal agency that has quietly shaped the way America’s capital looks and feels for more than a century. Those commissioners were supposed to serve through 2028, and the people were expected to review President Trump’s new projects, including a $300 million White House ballroom and the Arc de Triomphe near Arlington National Cemetery.
Now, they’re gone.
In an email reviewed by The Washington Post, the White House clarified the matter, saying: “On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as a member of the Commission on Fine Arts has been terminated, effective immediately.”
A White House official later confirmed the move, saying: “We are preparing to appoint a new slate of members to the committee who are more aligned with President Trump’s America First policies.”
translation? Trump doesn’t just want to design buildings, he wants to design the people who approve of them.
The Fine Arts Commission is not inherently political. It is the body that burdens monuments, memorials and historic buildings, from the Lincoln Memorial to the National Mall. It has been an independent voice since 1910, advising but not serving presidents. yet.
Trump’s team has already demolished the East Wing of the White House to make way for the ballroom, before any formal review took place. One of the fired commissioners, Bruce Baker, said his group “looks forward to a full review of plans for the new structure that will replace the East Wing” — well, he’s been fired now.
If this sounds familiar, that’s because it is. President Biden also expelled Trump appointees from the same commission in 2021, and critics accused him of politicizing the arts. But here’s the difference: Biden wasn’t preparing to build a dance hall bearing his name everywhere.
Trump’s impeachment spree also extends to another key body, the National Capital Planning Commission, where his allies now hold a majority. That board will likely decide whether the ballroom will be approved. In other words, Trump now controls the referees and the field.
This is not just about art or architecture. It’s about legacy – and who can define it. When you control what Washington looks like, you shape how history remembers you. And that’s the real story here: The man who once promised to “drain the swamp” is now redesigning it — with marble, gold, and his own reflection.
Lindsay Granger is a NewsNation contributor and co-host of the commentary show “Rising” on The Hill. This column is an edited version for on-air commentary.
