Politics in America usually moves at the speed of light, but some arguments are literally set in stone. Or at least, people want them to be. When it comes to trump mount rushmore 2025, the conversation feels like a fever dream that keeps resurfacing every time a campaign cycle kicks into high gear or a federal holiday rolls around. It’s a debate that pits the concept of historical permanence against modern political cults of personality. Honestly, it’s a mess.
It isn't just a meme. Back in 2020, the White House actually reached out to South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem about the process of adding new faces to the monument. That’s a real thing that happened. Noem even presented Trump with a four-foot replica of the mountain that included his face. People laughed. Others cheered. But the technical reality of carving into that specific piece of granite in the Black Hills is way more complicated than a Photoshop job or a campaign speech might lead you to believe.
The Geologic Reality of Mount Rushmore
You can’t just point a laser at a mountain and expect a masterpiece to appear. The sculptor Gutzon Borglum, who was famously difficult to work with, spent fourteen years (1927–1941) blasting away at that rock. He wasn't even "finished" when he died. The project stopped because the money ran out and World War II was starting.
If we look at the actual site, the granite is incredibly unstable. Geologists have pointed out for decades that the "Harney Peak Granite" used for the monument is riddled with fissures and "schist" (basically softer rock that erodes faster). Adding trump mount rushmore 2025 to the existing lineup would likely require explosives. And explosives near eighty-year-old carvings of Washington and Lincoln? That's a recipe for a landslide that wipes out the whole thing.
Maureen McGee-Ballinger, a longtime spokesperson for the monument, has been on the record multiple times stating there is no more "carvable" rock left. The sculpture was designed to use the specific "curtain" of granite available. If you look at the mountain today, the space to the right of Lincoln is mostly unstable rubble and deep cracks. There is no "fifth spot." It’s physically not there.
Why the Idea of Trump on the Mountain Persists
So if it's geologically impossible, why are we still talking about it?
Symbolism.
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To his supporters, placing Donald Trump alongside Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln is the ultimate validation of the "America First" movement. It's about legacy. It’s about sticking it to the establishment by altering the most "establishment" monument in the country. Trump himself has leaned into this. At a rally in 2017, he joked about it, and later, he tweeted a photo of himself standing next to the monument with his face superimposed. It’s a powerful branding tool.
Then there’s the opposition. For many, the idea is a literal desecration. You have the Indigenous perspective to consider, which is often sidelined in these nationalistic debates. The Black Hills, or Paha Sapa, are sacred to the Lakota Sioux. They didn't want the first four faces there. The 1980 Supreme Court case United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians actually ruled that the land was taken illegally. Adding a fifth face in 2025 would be like throwing gasoline on a fire that’s been smoldering since the 1870s.
The Legislative Hurdles in 2025
Let's say a billionaire somehow finds a way to stabilize the rock. Let's say money is no object. You still have the National Park Service (NPS) to deal with. The NPS doesn't just let people change monuments because they won an election. It would quite literally take an Act of Congress.
Imagine the floor of the House right now. Could you see a consensus on altering a national memorial? Not a chance. The permit process alone would take a decade. Environmental impact surveys. Historical preservation reviews. Tribal consultations. It’s a bureaucratic nightmare that would outlast any presidential term.
- Federal Law: The American Antiquities Act and various NPS mandates protect the site.
- Funding: No federal dollars are currently allocated for monument expansion.
- The "Six Grandfathers" factor: This is what the Lakota call the mountain. Any change requires navigating the complex legalities of treaty rights.
The Cultural Divide over Presidential Greatness
We tend to look at the four guys on the hill as "the greats," but they were all controversial in their time. Teddy Roosevelt was seen by many as a radical trust-buster. Lincoln was, well, the man who led a country through a civil war. History takes time to bake.
The push for trump mount rushmore 2025 is a symptom of our "now" culture. We want to canonize leaders while they are still active in the political arena. Normally, we wait at least 50 years before we start building massive stone tributes. We haven't even finished the Dwight D. Eisenhower memorial in DC (it took forever), and he's been gone since 1969.
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What Most People Get Wrong About the Monument
A common misconception is that there is "hidden room" behind the faces. There actually is a "Hall of Records" hidden behind Abraham Lincoln’s head, but it’s an unfinished vault intended to hold the country's most important documents. It isn't a space for another face.
Another myth: that Borglum intended to add more presidents. He didn't. He barely managed to get the four he had into a stable configuration. In fact, Thomas Jefferson was originally supposed to be on Washington’s right, but the rock was so bad they had to blast him off and move him to the left.
The Logistics of a Modern Carving
If anyone actually tried this in 2025, they wouldn't use dynamite and jackhammers alone. They'd use 3D laser scanning and CNC milling robots. We have the technology to be precise. But precision doesn't solve the "falling apart" problem.
The weight of the granite is immense. Any new carving changes the weight distribution of the entire mountain face. You could start carving a nose and end up causing Lincoln’s ear to fall off. Nobody wants to be the person who broke the 16th president.
Practical Realities for 2025 and Beyond
If you're following this story, keep an eye on South Dakota state politics. Governor Noem has used the Mount Rushmore backdrop for high-profile events, and it remains a cornerstone of her political brand. However, the Department of the Interior—which oversees the National Park Service—holds the keys. Unless there is a total shift in federal preservation philosophy, the mountain is staying exactly as it is.
Actionable Steps for Navigating the Controversy
If you're trying to separate fact from political theater regarding the monument, here is how to stay grounded:
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Check the National Park Service's official "Press Kit" for Mount Rushmore. They have a specific section dedicated to the "Fifth Face" question. It’s a hard "no" for structural reasons.
Look into the "Crazy Horse Memorial" just down the road. It’s a massive private project that has been under construction since 1948. It shows exactly how hard it is to carve a mountain when you don't have the full weight of the federal government (and even when you do).
Follow the American Geosciences Institute for reports on rock stability in the Black Hills. They occasionally publish updates on the "structural health" of the presidents' faces.
Recognize that the trump mount rushmore 2025 talk is largely rhetorical. It’s a way for people to express their level of devotion or their level of disdain. As a physical engineering project, it’s a non-starter. As a political talking point, it’s probably never going away.
Don't expect any scaffolding to go up on the mountain anytime soon. The granite has spoken, and it’s pretty stubborn.