The Trump administration fired all six members of the Commission of Fine Arts on Tuesday. It’s the agency that Presidents have historically turned to for guidance on architectural developments in Washington, D.C. One of the White House officials claimed that the new slate of members “is more aligned with President Donald Trump‘s America First Policies.”
The recent move follows Trump’s aggressive assembling of his allies across the federal government and also independent agencies. Most of these have given in to his demands in furtherance of the Project 2025 conservative blueprint. The commission, consisting of six members appointed by former President Joe Biden, has terms set to expire in 2028.
The White House on Tuesday fired all six members of the Commission of Fine Arts, an independent federal agency that had expected to review some of President Donald Trump’s construction projects, including his planned triumphal arch and White House ballroom. @washingtonpost
— Linda Hill (@bulldoghill) October 29, 2025
The alarming ousting comes as Trump starts on several large-scale construction projects, which also include the $300 million ballroom. This is a part of his broader effort to change the nation’s capital as part of his image. Trump and many of his close allies have time and again talked about the idea of Trump being reelected for a third term in 2028, which will clearly violate the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution.
During the first 10 months of his second term, Donald Term changed the Oval Office into a gold filigree, reshaped the Rose Garden to create a Mar-a-Lago-inspired patio display. It has also been reported that the 79-year-old president is considering constructing a triumphal arc across the Potomac River.
🇺🇸TRUMP GIVES THE WHITE HOUSE A MAKEOVER – GOLD, GUTS & NO MORE TENTS
Trump is back – and so is the taste. The Oval Office is getting the Mar-a-Lago treatment, complete with gold cherubs, velvet curtains, Rococo mirrors, and a desk trophy from the FIFA World Cup. Because why… https://t.co/ifkY3VC3gT pic.twitter.com/pcv8yduXeT
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) April 14, 2025
Huge banners of Trump’s face now adorn the exteriors of three federal buildings in D.C. In his June military parade, he celebrated both the Army’s 250th anniversary and his own 79th birthday. This led some Democratic senators to make comparisons to overt displays of authoritarian propaganda. All of this happened under leaders including Saddam Hussein, Benito Mussolini, and Kim Jong Un.
“On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as a member of the Commission on Fine Arts is terminated, effective immediately,” read an email sent to a commissioner, which was reviewed by The Washington Post.
The commission was created in 1910 by Congress, and its objective was to advise on the location of statues and monuments in public areas in D.C. In the past few years, it even weighed in on construction projects near and on public land.
The White House has now claimed that it did not need any approval from the National Capital Planning Commission for the demolition of the East Wing. It’s also because only new, vertical projects require a rubber stamp. The Trump administration might even submit plans for the president’s ballroom to the commission. Right now, it is filled with Trump loyalists and led by Will Scharf, the White House staff secretary.
In a similar way, he even pushed out members of the board of directors at the Kennedy Center and others.
