Mon Jun 30 20:30:00 UTC 2025: **Trump’s Mount Rushmore Ambitions Face Rocky Reality**
KEYSTONE, SD – President Donald Trump’s well-documented aspiration to have his face carved onto Mount Rushmore is running into both philosophical and geological obstacles. While Trump himself and some supporters have floated the idea, the National Park Service, which oversees the iconic memorial, has firmly stated that Mount Rushmore is a completed work of art with no viable space for additional carvings.
The concept gained traction when Trump, during his first term, expressed his “dream” to then-Representative Kristi Noem, now his Secretary of Homeland Security. A congresswoman even introduced a bill earlier this year to initiate the carving. However, experts are pointing to the complex network of fissures, cracks, and unstable rock formations within Mount Rushmore’s granite as a significant impediment.
Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor who designed and oversaw the original carving, faced numerous geological challenges during the 14-year construction. He had to alter his plans multiple times due to unforeseen weaknesses in the rock, resulting in the final arrangement of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.
Geomechanical engineer Paul Nelson, who oversaw the Rock Block Monitoring System at Mount Rushmore, stated, “One of the concerns about an additional face is that you could activate these fractures. If you remove material, you could be removing support.” He concludes that carving another face would be “extremely difficult, if not impossible.”
Beyond the structural challenges, there’s the philosophical debate of whether Mount Rushmore should be considered a finished masterpiece or a canvas open to modification. Dan Wenk, former superintendent of Mount Rushmore National Memorial, emphasizes that adding another face would be like adding one to da Vinci’s “Last Supper.”
While a 60-foot Trump face on Mount Rushmore seems unlikely, other possibilities are emerging. Trump has proposed a National Garden of American Heroes, and South Dakota officials are pitching the Black Hills as a potential location. It is possible monument to Trump could be built at one of these projects instead of Mount Rushmore.
Robin Borglum Kennedy, the granddaughter of Gutzon Borglum, strongly opposes any alterations to the memorial. She views Mount Rushmore as a tribute to American ideals, not individual politicians.
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