Trump’s another “face-saving project” is being criticized by American netizens.
According to American media such as "USA Today" and "Daily Beast", U.S. President Trump announced this week that the project to re-gild two statues in Washington D.C. with a cost of $5 million has made new progress.
On July 27th local time, Trump posted on the “Real Soccern” platform: “The ‘Art of War’ sculpture, newly gilded, its scaffolding is about to be removed!” The post included photos of the statue, which had been repaired and its surface was now shining with new gold plating.
Trump’s gold-plated statue construction plans for “true social interaction”
Two sculptures, which Trump spent a significant amount of money to restore, are located near the Lincoln Memorial. They are named "Art of War" and "Art of Peace". The ensemble consists of four statues, created in 1951. These gold-plated bronze sculptures depict horse and human figures, and are placed on giant granite bases.
Regarding this project, officials from the U.S. Department of Interior stated: "President Trump is fulfilling his promise to make Washington D.C. safer and more beautiful. This can be seen from the record-low crime rates, as well as the renovations of fountains and parks throughout the capital. The statues are currently being repainted gold in preparation for the 250th anniversary of the founding of the country. This is the first time these statues have been repainted gold in over 50 years."
It is understood that, similar to the projects for the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial and the White House Ballroom, this project did not undergo competitive bidding. Instead, it was awarded directly by the U.S. Department of Interior. The cost also increased from an initial $2.5 million to approximately $5 million.
In mid-April this year, the National Park Service under the U.S. Department of the Interior signed a contract worth $5 million with a gold plating company in Maryland. The contract included the restoration of statues and the application of a thick layer of 23.75K gold to the statues.
The company stated that the surface of the statue was covered with severe purple stains. The stains were caused by the aging of the bronze sculpture, which released copper ions. It is highly likely that these stains resulted from the use of chemical cleaning agents, treatments, laser cleaning methods, and micro-milling materials in the past. In 2018, an agency issued a report outlining the various restoration work needed to restore the statue to its original state.
Trump’s gold-plated statue construction plan: “True Social Interaction”
From spending $600 million to build a banquet hall on the East Wing of the White House, planning to construct a 76-meter-high “Trump's Triumph Arch”, and investing $14.8 million in renovating the reflecting pool, to this latest gilding of the statue, Trump’s “face-saving projects” during his second term have caused widespread criticism among American citizens.
In the comments section, many American netizens criticized Trump for wasting public funds. “With our country facing a huge debt burden, do we really want taxpayers’ money to be spent in this way?” “The funds are continuously flowing into wars, renovations of banquet halls, gilding of statues, construction of roads in Morocco, and various wasteful projects. What does an ordinary American person gain from all this?”
Some netizens questioned, "How much of this money can be used to feed hungry children? Why not use it to provide housing for homeless veterans, or to supply elderly people with medicine?"
According to the latest report released by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) in July, since the Trump administration approved the ‘Big Takeover’ bill in July 2025, more than one million children across the United States have lost their eligibility for food subsidies under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
