There is something deeply disturbing about watching pieces of America’s history, culture, and natural heritage disappear or be permanently altered under President Donald Trump. This goes far beyond ordinary political disagreements or the normal changes that occur when a new administration takes office. What we are witnessing is a transformation of places and institutions that belong to the American people, not to one president or one political party.
The demolition of the White House East Wing to make way for a massive new ballroom is one of the most visible examples. The Rose Garden has been significantly altered. The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is undergoing major repairs. At East Potomac Park, at least 60 trees were removed. Washington is also facing proposals for additional changes, including a proposed triumphal arch, new fountains, and perimeter fencing.
Some of these projects involve legitimate repairs, renovations, or government decisions that administrations have the legal authority to make. That does not mean Americans should ignore what is being lost in the process. Historic places carry meaning because they connect the present generation to the generations that came before us. Once those connections are permanently changed or destroyed, they cannot always be restored.
The Kennedy Center has also undergone dramatic changes under Trump’s leadership. Its board has faced major leadership and structural changes, and the decision to add Trump’s name to the institution has created significant controversy. The Kennedy Center is not simply another building in Washington. It is a national cultural institution created to honor President John F. Kennedy and serve the American public.
Taken individually, each decision can be explained as a renovation, policy change, land-management decision, or exercise of presidential authority. Taken together, however, they represent something much larger to me. They represent an increasing willingness to reshape institutions, historic places, and public spaces according to the priorities of the administration currently in power.
That concerns me because America is more than its government. America is its history, its monuments, its parks, its museums, its libraries, its cultural institutions and the places that preserve the stories of generations before us.
Another development that deeply concerns me is the announced retirement of Lonnie G. Bunch III, the Smithsonian’s first African American secretary and the founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. On September 8, 2026, Bunch announced that he would retire at the end of the year after nearly 38 years of service to the Smithsonian. His announcement comes as the Trump administration has placed increasing pressure on the Smithsonian over how American history is presented, including exhibits and discussions involving slavery, racism, and the African American experience. Meanwhile, the White Christian Nationalist movement is being elevated within the government.
History shows that when authoritarian governments seek to reshape a nation, they often target the physical reminders of its past. Monuments, museums, libraries, churches, and cultural institutions can become casualties because they preserve memory and identity. Destroying or controlling those places can make it easier to control a nation’s historical narrative.
The changes extend beyond Washington. The Trump administration reduced Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments by roughly 90 percent, removing millions of acres from their previous monument boundaries. These lands contain archaeological sites, ancient cultural resources, fossils, and places Native American tribes consider sacred.
At Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona, border wall construction during Trump’s first administration involved blasting and construction in areas containing Native American cultural resources and protected desert habitat. These actions showed how quickly historic and environmental protections can conflict with government priorities.
The administration has also changed federal environmental policy, including eliminating the Endangered Species Act’s regulatory definition of “harm.” The Interior Department has moved to expand hunting and trapping opportunities for hunters on federal lands and reduce restrictions that have existed for years.
I am not suggesting that the United States is a dictatorship. It is not. America has constitutional institutions, elections, courts, and a system of government designed to limit presidential power. But the historical pattern should still concern us. The destruction or dramatic alteration of cultural and historic institutions should never become acceptable simply because the person making the decisions belongs to the political party we support.
The White House does not belong to Donald Trump. The national monuments do not belong to Donald Trump. The national parks do not belong to Donald Trump. The Kennedy Center does not belong to Donald Trump. These places belong to the American people.
A president is a temporary occupant of the White House and a temporary steward of the nation’s institutions. Every president eventually leaves office. The monuments, parks, historic buildings, and cultural institutions are supposed to remain for future generations.
I believe America can modernize without erasing its history. We can repair buildings without destroying their character. We can protect our borders without damaging sacred places. We can manage public lands while preserving their cultural and environmental importance. We can make changes without treating America’s heritage as disposable.
What concerns me most is the possibility that Americans will become so divided politically that they stop recognizing what belongs to everyone.
This country does not belong to Donald Trump, Democrats, or Republicans. It belongs to the American people.
Presidents come and go. Political movements come and go. Administrations come and go. America remains.
That is why the destruction or permanent alteration of America’s historic, cultural, and natural heritage should never be viewed as merely another political issue. These are pieces of our national identity. Once they are gone, no president can give them back.
I believe America is being changed from within, and I believe every American, regardless of political affiliation, has a responsibility to recognize what is being lost and protect what belongs to all of us.
