It has been two weeks since Donald Trump returned to the White House, and despite the chaos he has managed to cause in such a short amount of time, conservatives are already trying to elevate him to icon status.
During a segment on Fox News’s Outnumbered, Harris Faulkner and her cohosts gushed over the possibility of carving Trump’s face into Mt. Rushmore.
Related:
Rep. Ana Paulina Luna (R-FL) wrote on X last week that she was in the midst of filing legislation to make this happen.
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According to the Fox segment, calls are growing to chisel Trump’s face into the mountain beside Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Theodore Roosevelt.
“They claim he’s already done enough to be immortalized alongside George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln,” said Faulkner.
Jason Chaffetz said the idea is “great.”
“I think what Donald Trump has done and is in the process of doing is transforming the United States of America and putting America first. And I think America loves it, and I think there’s a great case for it.”
Kayleigh McEnany, who was White House press secretary during Trump’s first term, said she was “fascinated” by the idea.
“Because that would be some sweet irony after President Joe Biden stopped the fireworks display from Mount Rushmore. So if you did the, like, 250th anniversary of the country at Mount Rushmore with President Trump’s face, it would be epic.”
Co-host Emily Compagno disagreed with the idea for environmental reasons but said she was all for putting Trump’s face on currency instead.
The hosts also voiced support for changing the name of Washington Dulles International Airport to Donald Trump International Airport.
One host also brought up the fact that the National Park Service has said it’s not possible to add another face to Mt. Rushmore because there is not another stable location to do it.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial Chief of Interpretation and Education Maureen McGee-Ballinger spoke about this in 2020 to the Argus Leader.
“From time to time individuals, groups, or organizations make proposals to add the busts of other individuals to Mount Rushmore National Memorial,” McGee-Ballinger said. “Additions are not possible for two reasons.”
“First, the rock that surrounds the sculpted faces is not suitable for additional carving. When Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor of Mount Rushmore, died in 1941, his son Lincoln Borglum closed down the project and stated that no more carvable rock existed.”
“RESPEC [a rock mechanics engineering firm] supports our long-held belief that no other rock near the sculpted faces is suitable for additional carving. RESPEC also believes that if additional work were undertaken it is possible that exposing new surfaces could result in creation of potential instabilities in the existing carving.”
“Second, Mount Rushmore was sculpted by Gutzon Borglum to represent the first 150 years of the history of the United States — the birth, growth, and preservation of our country. He chose the four presidents to represent the principles of our present form of government, not to represent the individuals themselves.”
“It is one man’s artistic interpretation and a tribute to that period of our nation’s history. The National Park Service takes the position that death stayed the hand of the artist and the work is complete in its present form. Thus, to maintain both the integrity of the structure and the artist’s concept, there is no procedure for adding another likeness, the sculpture is complete.”
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