Lately, there’s been real talk in political circles about adding Donald Trump’s face to Mount Rushmore. Not in theory—actual proposals, letters, and bills have been brought up by lawmakers. It’s one of those ideas that sounds bold, maybe even outrageous, but some Republicans are seriously pushing for it. And it’s stirred up a whole lot of debate—historical, legal, even emotional.
Just a couple weeks ago, Rep. Andy Ogles—yeah, from Tennessee—sent a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. He said, hey, Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” is a huge win, so why not carve Trump on Rushmore too? He even called it “essential.” ? But here’s the kicker: experts are like, “Not gonna happen.” The rock up there? It’s cracked and fragile. Engineering studies say carving another face might bring the whole monument down. I mean, imagine that—Rushmore collapse because of Trump?
Then there’s the legal and cultural side of things. Mount Rushmore sits in the Black Hills—sacred territory to the Lakota Sioux. That 1868 treaty said the land belonged to them. The Supreme Court recognized it in 1980, yet the land was still taken. Now, carving another face into it? Indigenous groups are already pushing back hard.
Oh, and don’t forget Florida’s Rep. Anna Paulina Luna—she’s introduced an actual bill, H.R. 792, to do just that. But even if it somehow passes the House, it’d need Senate approval, plus face lawsuits, tribal opposition, geological red flags… seems like an uphill slog.
Meanwhile, there’s a slightly different plan gaining ground. Trump’s money people revived his idea of a “National Garden of American Heroes.” Basically, a sculpture park near Rushmore with 250 statues—Founding Fathers, civil rights leaders, athletes, musicians, the works. Congress has set aside $40 million for it, and South Dakota is talking 40 acres near the monument. But guess what? Indigenous voices again say, “Nope.” They say the land is holy, this just ain’t right.
So where are we at? People like Ogles are shouting that Trump “deserves” a place in stone, but experts, engineers, Native leaders, historians—they all say no dice. There’s literally no space on Rushmore, and adding a face could crack it wide open. Plus, the land is steeped in pain and history for Native Americans.
The garden idea might go forward—but again, controversies, sacred land issues, and deadlines (like aiming for July 4, 2026) still muddy the waters. Will it happen? We’ll see. But as of now, the chances of Trump actually becoming the “fifth face” seem about as likely as carving him into the moon.