President Donald Trump signed an executive order mandating that federal public buildings embrace classical architecture "to honor tradition, foster civic pride, and inspire the citizenry," according to the White House.
The Washington Post reported in late January that Trump was moving forward with his effort for the government to use a "classical" style of architecture when constructing new buildings. He signed the order Thursday.
"President George Washington and Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson consciously modeled the most important buildings in Washington, D.C., on the classical architecture of ancient Athens and Rome," the president’s order said.
"They sought to use classical architecture to visually connect our contemporary Republic with the antecedents of democracy in classical antiquity, reminding citizens not only of their rights but also their responsibilities in maintaining and perpetuating its institutions."
Trump's order directs that classical architecture serve as the preferred architectural style for all federal public buildings, especially in the District of Columbia. New construction and renovations will be affected.
The order applies to federal public buildings, which should "uplift and beautify public spaces, inspire the human spirit, ennoble the United States, and command respect from the general public," according to the order.
The General Services administrator is responsible for implementing the order.
If a building design deviates from the classical style, the assistant to the president for domestic policy shall be notified, the order said.
During his first term, Trump signed a 2020 executive order titled "Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture." However, former President Joe Biden rescinded it a year later.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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