Architecture as a Tool of Power: Trump's Ideological Nationalism

Strategic Insights -

The Trump administration is engaging in a form of ideological nationalism, where architecture and heritage are being used as tools to project power, shape national identity, and control memory. This approach is not new, with historical examples from monarchs to dictators who have built monumental architecture to buttress their egos and national ego. However, Trump's efforts are distinct in their scope and ambition, as he seeks to reshape the American story and determine who gets to speak.

Key Takeaways:

  • Trump's push for classical and traditional architectural styles is reminiscent of authoritarian leaders like Adolf Hitler and Stalin, who sought to dictate aesthetics as expressions of ideology.
  • The Trump administration has singled out the Smithsonian Institution for ideological reshaping, targeting narratives that are inclusive of diverse American experiences.
  • Trump's 2020 order declaring classical and traditional architectural styles the preferred design for government buildings has been criticized for imposing ideological restrictions on design.
  • The Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 calls for expanding the National Heritage Area program, which empowers presidents to quickly designate national monuments on federal land, and for shrinking many existing monuments.
  • Trump's construction of a new ballroom at the White House is a departure from the core values embodied in the building's Federal style, which emphasized simplicity and restraint.
  • The demolition of the East Wing may have ignored processes at one of the most important U.S. historic sites, highlighting Trump's unilateral and unaccountable methods for getting what he wants.
  • Instruments of memory and identity, such as architecture and heritage, are essential for sustaining a shared civic identity and ensuring accountability for past wrongs.
  • The Trump administration's approach to heritage politics seeks to redefine America's story and determine who gets to speak, with attacks on so-called "woke" history aimed at erasing complex truths about slavery, inequality, and exclusion.

Statistics:

  • 17th-century European monarchs like King Louis XIV used architecture to convey perceptions of grandeur and majesty to visitors (Source: The Palace of Versailles).
  • The Sumerians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Romans, Chinese dynasties, Mayans, and Incas all built monumental architecture to convey power and serve as instruments of physical and psychological control (Source: Archaeological evidence).
  • The American Revolution rejected the European idea of monarchs as semidivine rulers, leading to the development of a distinct architectural language rooted in classical Roman architecture (Source: Charles Crane, "The Making of the United States of America").
  • Between 1816 and 2020, the city of Philadelphia, the Smithsonian Institution, and other organizations saved iconic American sites like Independence Hall, Mount Vernon, and Monticello, tying democracy's endurance to the built environment (Source: various preservation organizations).
  • The Trump administration has advanced its agenda by adopting many recommendations in the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, which calls for expanding the National Heritage Area program and shrinking many existing monuments (Source: The Heritage Foundation).

Sources:

  • The Conversation US, Inc. (2020) "Architecture as a tool of power: Trump's ideological nationalism"
  • The Palace of Versailles (n.d.) "History of the Palace"
  • Archaeological evidence (various dates) "Monumental architecture and power"
  • Charles Crane (2007) "The Making of the United States of America"
  • Preservation organizations (various dates) "Independence Hall, Mount Vernon, and Monticello preservation efforts"
  • The Heritage Foundation (2020) "Project 2025"