What do Americans think as Trump remodels DC into his own vision?
President Donald Trump has spent much of his second term remaking iconic parts of Washington DC, from the White House grounds to the National Mall, as he seeks to leave his mark on the nation’s capital.
The projects have ranged from renovations and new construction to sweeping redesigns of some of the capital’s best-known public spaces.
But many Americans aren’t on board with those changes, according to a poll published July 23 by The Washington Post.
Here’s what the poll found about Trump’s efforts to reshape the nation’s capital.
Poll: Americans largely disapprove of Trump’s Washington DC makeover
The Post polled 2,600 adults from across the country, and 65% said they were either upset or dissatisfied with the projects, which include construction of a White House ballroom, back-to-back remodels of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and a 250-foot arch just outside DC.
Only 32% of people polled were enthusiastic or satisfied with the projects, including the ballroom, a project that has soared to $600 million with taxpayers on the hook for more than half of the cost.
The ballroom is being built under a no-bid contract, just as the reflecting pool is.
That project has also risen in price — $16 million for the first transformation before it was drained for a second round of renovations.
The plan to build a 250-foot arch between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery has drawn overwhelming public opposition, with more than 99% of comments submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission criticizing the project, according to an analysis by USA TODAY.
Trump has repeatedly said the projects are part of a push to make Washington DC beautiful again, but only 26% of people polled believe those are his true motives. More than half (51%) say Trump has a “different goal” with the transformations and 22% aren’t sure.
Asked by the Post what his motives for the projects are, 42% said they are for Trump to glorify himself and 22% said they are the president’s way to leave his mark on DC and the country.
Mike Stunson is a Washington DC-based reporter writing all things trending and breaking within the DMV for USA TODAY’s Washington DC Connect Team.
