Donald Trump’s efforts to transform the architecture of Washington, DC have included projects such as painting the Reflecting Pool, demolishing the East Wing of the White House, and proposing the construction of a triumphal arch. last night Washington Week With The Atlanticpanelists joined in to discuss what it can reveal about the president’s leadership style, and more.
Trump’s ongoing discussions about these projects often focus on interior design and his desire to rebuild the structures in his own vision. Trump is “a sweetheart who happens to be president,” said Michael Scherer, a staff writer Atlanticthey argued last night. “He gets to do his hobby with public taxpayer dollars to whatever extent he wants.”
The president “conflates national greatness with what he can do, and that’s part of his identity; it’s part of his politics,” Scherer said. DC will see “project after project, because it’s something that catches his attention.”
Connect with the editor-in-chief of AtlanticJeffrey Goldberg, discuss this and more: Leigh Ann Caldwell, senior Washington writer at Puck; Stephen Hayes, editor of Dispatch; Scherer; Nancy Youssef, staff writer at The Atlantic.
Watch the full episode here.
