Donald Trump on Mount Rushmore? The wild idea backed by some MAGA fans
Trump’s Mount Rushmore dream gains MAGA support, but experts say adding a fifth face is unlikely due to space, vision, and engineering limits.
Although it remains unclear whether President Donald Trump’s bust would be added to Mount Rushmore or one of the four presidents depicted on the famous mountain side would be removed, the idea of adding the 47th president to the monument is gaining momentum in the MAGA world.
Over two million visitors make the journey to the Black Hills every year to gaze upon the colossal sculpture of four U.S. presidents who helped shape the nation’s history. The busts of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt—each standing 60 feet tall—were carved out of the mountain’s solid granite.
Adding Another President to the Monument Is Unlikely
Trump’s desire to see himself immortalized at Mount Rushmore isn’t new. In 2020, he tweeted about the idea of adding his face to the monument, denying he had suggested it—but still saying it “sounded like a good idea” because of “all of the many things accomplished” during his first term, which he claimed were “perhaps more than any other presidency.”
However, the National Park Service has stated that there’s no suitable surface on the mountain where a fifth face could be securely installed. The agency also notes that altering the monument would go against the vision of its original sculptor, who chose the presidents to represent principles—not individuals.
Despite the logistical challenges, Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna (FL) introduced a bill just two days after Trump’s inauguration in January that would require government engineers to defy the odds and explore the possibility.
The bill has not moved forward on Capitol Hill, though Congresswoman Luna has continued to make public appeals—likely aimed at gaining favor with the White House. And she’s not alone. Former Governor of North Dakota and current Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum, expressed openness to the idea in an interview with Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law.
“Well, they certainly have room for it there,” said the secretary, though he didn’t offer further details on any efforts within his department to advance the initiative.
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