The second Trump administration has made tearing down parts of the federal government a priority. And some of those efforts have been literal. In October, President Donald Trump ordered the demolition of the White House’s East Wing to make way for the construction of a massive 90,000-square-foot ballroom. He’s also given the White House a gilded makeover, bulldozed the famed Rose Garden, and even has plans for a so-called “Arc de Trump” that mirrors France’s Arc de Triomphe. So what’s behind all of this? Art historian Erin Thompson—author of <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/85492/9781324050490">Smashing Statues: The Rise and Fall of America’s Public Monuments</a>—says that whether it’s Romans repurposing idols of leaders who had fallen out of favor or the glorification of Civil War officers in the American South, monuments and public aesthetics aren’t just about the past. They’re about symbolizing power today. On this week’s More To The Story, Thompson sits down with host Al Letson to discuss why Trump has decked out the White House in gold (so much gold), the rise and recent fall of Confederate monuments, and whether she thinks the Arc de Trump will ever get built.Producers: Josh Sanburn and Artis Curiskis | Editor: Kara McGuirk-Allison | Theme music: Fernando Arruda and Jim Briggs | Copy editor: Nikki Frick | Digital producer: Artis Curiskis | Deputy executive producer: Taki Telonidis | Executive producer: Brett Myers | Executive editor: James West | Host: Al Letson<ul>
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</ul>Listen: <a href="https://revealnews.org/podcast/fancy-galleries-fake-art-update-2023/">Fancy Galleries, Fake Art</a> (Reveal)Listen: <a href="https://revealnews.org/podcast/national-park-service-trump-budget-cuts-ideology/">Will the National Parks Survive Trump</a>? (Reveal)Read: <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/85492/9781324050490">Smashing Statues: The Rise and Fall of America’s Public Monuments</a> (W. W. Norton & Company)Read: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-10-17/america-s-tech-right-is-obsessed-with-building-giant-statues">America’s Tech Right Is Obsessed With Building Giant Statues</a> (Bloomberg)Read: <a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/10/confederate-monuments-came-down-where-are-they-photos/">Nearly 100 Confederate Monuments Were Toppled in 2020. What Happened to Them?</a> (Mother Jones)Note: If you buy a book using our <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/motherjones">Bookshop link</a>, a small share of the proceeds supports our journalism.

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