Trump’s D.C. renovations spark GOP complaints
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s obsession with remaking the nation’s capital with his grand, flashy aesthetic doesn’t sit well with some Republican lawmakers, who wish he’d pay more attention to the needs of everyday people outside the Beltway who struggle with high prices.
The GOP’s hopes of avoiding disaster in November’s midterm elections depend on reminding voters of its economic achievements over the past year, including last year’s tax cuts.
Trump, however, appears to be more interested in put your name on federal property, adding gold accessories to the White Houseand even build a 250-foot “Trump Arch” near the Lincoln Memorial which is modeled after the Napoleonic arch in Paris.
“We need to make sure we do the main thing, the main thing. And there can be too many distractions,” Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said in an interview with News themezone this week when asked about Trump’s renovations in Washington, DC.
“It’s a matter of prioritization,” added Senator Thom Tillis (R.N.C.). “Some of these optics just don’t make sense.”
Although Trump has made several trips across the country to promote his economic policies, it is the former real estate mogul’s construction projects that have generated major, and often disparaging, headlines that threaten to undermine his message of “Making America Affordable Again.” Critics, for example, have found it too easy to highlight Trump’s focus on building grand ballrooms in Washington instead of addressing affordability concerns, the issue that helped him win the 2024 presidential election.
“Americans should be quite appalled that Donald Trump is spending these millions of dollars on vanity projects when they are struggling to pay their electric bills, rent and put food on the table,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). “It’s out of touch with ordinary Americans, and these oversized, colossal buildings or monuments are simply a vanity service.”
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In addition to the planned arch, Trump will close the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for two years so it can undergo renovations. The announcement came amid a backlash from artists who oppose changes he has already made to the nation’s premier arts venue, including putting his name over JFK’s on the building’s façade without congressional approval.
The decision to close the center for so long also surprised Republican lawmakers, who included funding for Kennedy Center repairs in Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill.
“It was my understanding that the renovations were already underway and going well, so I don’t think that was planned when we provided the money,” Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, told News themezone.
“I was surprised,” said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R.W..Virginia.). “I saw that it wouldn’t tear down the building, which I don’t think would be very good.”
Last fall, Trump demolished the East Wing of the White House to make room for a massive $400 million ballroom that he said would be paid for by corporate donations. He replaced the lawn of the Rose Garden, designed by former first lady Jackie Kennedy, with a patio reminiscent of his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Trump also did substantial changes to the White House itself, covering nearly every wall of the Oval Office with gold inlay, redecorating the Lincoln Bathroom, and installing a “Walk of Fame” along the Colonnade with plaques mocking his Democratic predecessors.
Trump has put his name on other federal properties in Washington, including the United States Institute of Peace. There are plans in the works to name a new terminal at Dulles International Airport after him. And it seems he has his eyes on it too redevelopment the city’s three public golf courses.
The White House maintains that all of these projects will be funded entirely with private donations and not taxpayer funds. But some Republicans worry about the message they are sending to voters struggling with the cost of living, including health insurance premiums that skyrocketed after the GOP allowed enhanced Obamacare subsidies for millions of Americans to expire earlier in the year.
“They tell us that, look, we don’t have enough money for health care or anything,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) told News themezone when asked about Trump’s redevelopment projects.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), meanwhile, defended Trump’s focus on renovating Washington landmarks.
“Trump is a builder,” Johnson said. “I think when it’s all said and done, people will appreciate what he’s done.”
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Polls have shown a significant erosion in Trump’s political standing, even among independent voters. An NPR/PBS News/Marist survey released Thursday found that only 36% of Americans approved of Trump’s handling of the economy, while 59% disapproved. About 54% of voters said the White House should focus primarily on lowering prices, including 58% of independents.
Trump has presented various populists economic proposals, but they have gone nowhere due to opposition from traditional free-market conservatives on Capitol Hill. Instead, Republican lawmakers are betting that Americans will see the benefits of Trump’s tax policies and head to the polls to help defend their slim congressional majorities despite signs of a blue wave coming this year.
“He’s put forward a very bold agenda that I would like to see us act on, like capping credit card interest rates, capping the price of prescription drugs. I mean, that’s a great thing,” said Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.). “I don’t detect a huge amount of enthusiasm for this among my colleagues. I wish there was, because I think that would make a huge difference.”