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Trump Considers Replacing White House’s 200-Year-Old Ionic Columns; Critics Call It “Completely Inappropriate”

Trump's White House columns may change as Rodney Mims Cook Jr. pushes to replace the 200-year-old Iconic design with Corinthian ones.

By Reni Damien
President Donald Trump is reportedly considering changing the Ionic White House Columns to 'Corinthian.’ A designer has proposed the idea to replace the 200-year-old columns. Rodney Mims Cook Jr., a member of the Commission of Fine Arts, has commented on the design change in an interview with The Washington Post. A member of the federal commission reportedly proposed replacing the columns with Corinthian-style columns. This was because the Corinthian columns are more luxurious in appearance compared to the ones currently installed at the White House. Trump reportedly prefers this style of columns and has even installed them at his personal residence in Mar-a-Lago. Corinthian columns are also set to be featured in the Ballroom, which is currently under construction. The Trump-appointed official explained the reason behind his proposal to replace the Ionic columns. Cook Jr. said, “Corinthian is the highest order (of columns), and that’s what our other two branches of government have.” Cook Jr. also expressed his confusion over why they weren’t previously installed “at least” in the north entrance of the White House. The Ionic columns are reportedly 200 years old. Which is why Cook Jr.’s proposal to replace them has generated a mixed reaction. While some welcomed the change, others appeared rather appalled by the idea. Cook Jr.'s colleague, Richard Cameron, noted that other buildings with the same significance often change. He acknowledged that the White House is historically important. Noting his colleague’s proposal, Cameron said, “They change through time…” As mentioned earlier, some strongly disagreed with Cook Jr.’s proposal and hope Trump doesn’t go ahead with changing the Ionic. Former member of the Commission of Fine Arts, Bruce Redman Becker, called the proposal "completely inappropriate." Becker said the idea conflicts with historic building standards. News about the potential change to the Ionic columns quickly spread online. Netizens had similar reactions about the change to a 200-year-old architectural design. One user asked, “Why is he being allowed to do this? What happened to Historic Preservation?” A second user pointed out Trump’s preference for the structural change. The user claimed, “The only reason I see him wanting to do this is because the Corinthian style has more adornments at the top to cover in gold.” Another user sarcastically said, “Glad to see he’s focused on the important issues…” A fourth one claimed, “I just want affordable healthcare, man.” A fifth one stated, “This is not appropriate and should not be happening.” A netizen made a very sharp observation about the structural difference between the two types of columns. The key difference between them is the adornment on top. According to a diagram mentioned by The Washington Post, the Ionic order features “volutes.” These are large scroll-shaped ornaments. Similarly, the Corinthian features "Acanthus leaves." These leaves were reportedly found growing outside the city of Corinth in Greece, hence the name. Another key difference is their overall structure. Ionic columns are more slender and tapered. Corinthian columns also have a tapered shaft that narrows from bottom to top. Even their bases vary in thickness. Reactions about the potential change continue to pour in online. Even so, the White House has not officially confirmed any change. Neither Trump nor the Trump administration members have commented on replacing the Ionic with Corinthian columns. Cook Jr. has also yet to officially pitch the idea to the President.

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