Demand Progress

Trump loyalists in Congress and the South Dakota governor’s office are rallying behind proposals for two grotesque, wasteful celebrations of the president: putting Trump’s face on Mount Rushmore, and building Trump’s “National Garden of Heroes” right nearby.¹

J.D. Vance visited Rushmore earlier this month² as calls to “immortalize” Trump on the monument grow. GOP Rep. Andy Ogles said, “President Trump’s accomplishments in restoring American greatness” show that the sitting president ought to have statues built for him.³This is more textbook authoritarianism from the GOP.

No sitting president should be glorified on statues by the federal government. Just like Trump’s military parade, this costly, dangerous pro-Trump stunt has no place in America.

Sign the petition: America shouldn’t celebrate a strongman — keep Trump off Mount Rushmore!

The South Dakota governor is also pushing for Trump to put his proposed statue “Garden of Heroes” near Mount Rushmore.⁴ This has prompted protests from Indigenous groups, because the Black Hills (where Mount Rushmore was built) are unceded Lakota territory — land stolen from the Lakota by the federal government, as recognized by the Supreme Court in 1980.⁵ 

The history of Mount Rushmore is shameful enough — including the monument’s designer being tied to the KKK.⁶ Adding Trump to Rushmore and building his statue garden of heroes nearby would be a further insult to Indigenous people and their land.

While unwavering Trump allies in Congress and throughout the federal government scramble to gain favor with the president, our lawmakers must stand against Trump’s wasteful, authoritarian displays.

Sign the petition: Urge Congress to oppose and block funding for putting Trump on Mount Rushmore!

Sources:

1. CNN Politics, "Could this sculpture garden become Trump’s Mount Rushmore?” July 3, 2025.
2. KOTA TV, “'What a day it is to choose,' VP Vance makes unannounced stop at Mt. Rushmore,” July 4, 2025.
3. Daily Beast, “GOP Rep Reignites Call to Add Trump to Mount Rushmore,” July 4, 2025.
4. AP News, “South Dakota eager for Trump’s statue garden near Mount Rushmore despite local opposition,” June 23, 2025.
5. CNN Politics, "Could this sculpture garden become Trump’s Mount Rushmore?” July 3, 2025.
6. Democracy Now, "'He Wasn’t Invited': How Trump’s Racist Mt. Rushmore Celebration Violated Indigenous Sovereignty,” July 6, 2025.