BS BRIEF:
- President Donald Trump has added a life-size bronze statue of Thomas Jefferson to the White House Rose Garden, making it the fifth monument installed as part of the administration’s redesign of the grounds.
- The Jefferson statue joins sculptures of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton and “Freedom’s Charge,” with several of the works on loan from Texas businessman Harlan Crow.
- Why it matters: The installation is the latest step in the administration’s broader effort to reshape federal historical sites ahead of America’s 250th anniversary, an initiative that has generated both praise and criticism.
TRUMP ADDS THOMAS JEFFERSON STATUE TO WHITE HOUSE ROSE GARDEN
President Donald Trump has quietly expanded the White House Rose Garden with another prominent figure from America’s founding era, installing a life-size bronze statue of Thomas Jefferson as part of an ongoing effort to highlight historic American leaders on the White House grounds.
According to reporting first detailed by The Washington Post, the statue depicts Jefferson seated while working on a draft of the Declaration of Independence. Sculptor George Lundeen said Trump personally called to congratulate him after the installation.
“I just wanted to thank you. The sculpture looks really beautiful,” Lundeen said Trump told him in a July 4 phone call.
The Jefferson monument joins statues of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton and “Freedom’s Charge,” a sculpture honoring Revolutionary War soldiers. Three of those statues are on loan from Texas businessman and art collector Harlan Crow, according to multiple reports.
The White House has described the broader project as part of the President’s effort to “beautify and honor our Nation’s Capital” in conjunction with celebrations surrounding the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The latest addition fits into a larger initiative that extends well beyond the Rose Garden. Earlier this year, the administration restored a Christopher Columbus statue to the White House grounds and has continued developing plans for a National Garden of American Heroes featuring hundreds of notable Americans from politics, science, sports, entertainment and military history.
Not everyone has welcomed the effort. Some museum professionals and architectural critics have questioned both the artistic direction and the symbolism of expanding statuary on the White House grounds, arguing that the project reflects a particular vision of American history.
Supporters, meanwhile, argue that honoring Founding Fathers such as Jefferson is consistent with the White House’s role as the home of the American presidency and note that Jefferson’s contributions—including drafting the Declaration of Independence and serving as the nation’s third president—remain central to the country’s history.
DBS WIRE SOURCES:
- The Washington Post – Trump continues overhaul of White House grounds with new Rose Garden statues Read the story
- The Daily Beast – Trump’s Secret New Addition to the Rose Garden Exposed Read the story
- Chron – Texas billionaire with Nazi art collection lends sculptures to White House Read the story
- The Washington Post – Trump announces planned D.C. site for massive sculpture garden Read the story
