Demolishing the White House East Wing to build a ballroom embodies Trump’s heritage politics

By: R. Grant Gilmore III, College of Charleston

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: October 24, 2025

Words: 1,452

Last Updated: 1 month ago

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By R. Grant Gilmore III, College of Charleston

From ancient Egypt to Washington, D.C., rulers have long used architecture and associated stories to project power, control memory and shape national identity. As 17th-century French statesman Jean-Baptiste Colbert observed:

“In the absence of brilliant deeds of war, nothing proclaims the greatness and spirit of princes more than building works.”

Today, the Trump administration is mobilizing heritage and architecture as tools of ideology …

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