Trump Ensures That His Tacky Taste Will Pervade The Nation's Capital
The White House has fired all six members of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, an independent federal agency that helps shape the look of Washington’s monuments and federal buildings.
“On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as a member of the Commission of Fine Arts is terminated, effective immediately,” read an email reviewed by The Washington Post and sent late Tuesday by a staffer in the White House personnel office.
The move—first reported by the Post—came as Trump accelerates plans for several flashy construction projects, including a $300 million White House ballroom and a triumphal arch near the Lincoln Memorial. Both would require review by at least one federal design board, and Trump has been cleaning house to make sure those boards are stocked with loyalists.
The Commission of Fine Arts, created by Congress in 1910, traditionally includes a mix of architects, designers, and urban planners who advise the federal government on the capital’s architectural development.
President Joe Biden appointed the now-dismissed group, several of whom were expected to serve through 2028.
Trump’s purge is part of a broader effort to consolidate control over Washington’s two main federal design panels: the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission. The White House already ousted Biden-era members of the latter in July, replacing them with Trump allies, including his staff secretary—and now NCPC chair—Will Scharf. Together, the two panels typically review everything from memorial designs to major changes at the White House itself.
The firings come as Trump moves ahead with his ambitious East Wing overhaul, which includes a proposed 90,000-square-foot ballroom and necessitated destroying the entire existing wing. The president has said the project will be funded by himself and donors, including tech bro allies.
It’s not clear whether the Commission of Fine Arts would have any real say over Trump’s ballroom. The White House has argued that only the National Capital Planning Commission—the other federal design board overseeing major construction across D.C., Virginia, and Maryland—has jurisdiction. Officials say that body steps in only once “vertical” construction begins, not during demolition, meaning the administration can proceed with tearing down the East Wing without either commission’s approval.
Speaking to the Post, a White House official confirmed the Fine Arts commissioners had been terminated.
“We are preparing to appoint a new slate of members to the commission that are more aligned with President Trump’s ‘America First’ policies,” the official said, requesting anonymity to discuss personnel matters.
Trump has also taken a personal interest in reshaping the city’s skyline. Earlier this month, he floated plans for a massive arch near the Lincoln Memorial, though he’s provided no cost estimate, timeline for approval, or design details.
This week’s purge mirrors earlier shake-ups at other cultural and planning institutions, including the Kennedy Center board and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council—both of which saw Biden appointees pushed out to make room for Trump loyalists.
The Commission of Fine Arts has long reviewed high-profile White House projects, including the 2019 tennis pavilion overseen by former First Lady Melania Trump. But with Trump eager to fast-track construction, he may try to bypass such reviews entirely.The timing of these firings is hard to ignore. Trump’s push to remake Washington in his own image—starting with his gaudy, oversized ballroom—has come with a quiet purge of the very institutions meant to keep federal design in check.
Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos
