Trump’s Secret New Addition to the Rose Garden Exposed

Key Points:

• President Donald Trump secretly installed a life-sized statue of Thomas Jefferson in the White House Rose Garden, depicting Jefferson drafting the Declaration of Independence, as part of a broader redesign of the area.
• The Jefferson statue is the fifth added by Trump, joining sculptures of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and a Revolutionary War memorial called “Freedom’s Charge.”
• Several statues, including those of Franklin, Hamilton, and “Freedom’s Charge,” were loaned by GOP megadonor Harlan Crow, known for his controversial collection and close ties to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
• Critics have drawn parallels between Trump’s classical art style and authoritarian regimes, while the new statuary display also aims to elevate historical figures whose monuments faced removal during racial justice protests.
• Trump has also installed a replica of a Christopher Columbus statue removed during 2020 protests, reflecting his private sympathy for controversial historical figures whose legacies have been reexamined amid calls for racial justice.