Newest lawsuit seeks to put an end to Trump’s planned DC sculpture garden for American heroes – UK Times

Several groups have sued President Donald Trump’s administration over its plans to install a sculpture garden in a Washington, D.C., national park.

The complaint, filed Monday by the National Parks Conservation Association and other groups, centers on the National Garden of American Heroes. The sculpture garden is expected to feature 250 life-sized statues of famous Americans, including former presidents, sports stars and renowned inventors.

The Trump administration plans to install the statues near the National Mall in West Potomac Park, which is home to several Washington landmarks, including the Jefferson Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial. But the new lawsuit alleges the plan is “unlawful,” and asks a judge to block construction until the agencies “comply with their legal obligations.”

“Congress has made clear that the National Mall is a ‘substantially completed work of civic art’—not a personal sandbox for each President to renovate however he likes. To that end, Congress has decreed that no new ‘commemorative work’ shall be located within ‘the great cross-axis of the Mall,’ an area that includes West Potomac Park,” the complaint said.

Washington’s national parks are “some of the most visited and symbolically significant public spaces anywhere in the world,” and this lawsuit seeks to “ensure that remains the case,” according to Tiernan Sittenfeld, CEO and president of the National Parks Conservation Association.

The lawsuit also called out Trump’s other changes to iconic Washington, D.C., landmarks, including the demolition of the White House’s East Wing to make way for a new ballroom and his attempt to rename the Kennedy Center after himself (which a federal judge later blocked).

“This disregard for legal requirements is part of the same playbook the administration has used to pursue other recent vanity projects,” the complaint said.

When asked about the lawsuit, an Interior Department spokesperson told The Independent: “It is beyond comprehension why anyone would sue over an exhibition that celebrates American greatness by highlighting some of the most pivotal figures in our nation’s history.”

“Either these people hate America or are suffering from a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome,” the spokesperson added.

The sculpture garden is part of this year’s celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary, Trump said last month.

“This magnificent exhibition of statues will be located in West Potomac Park, which we are transforming into one of the World’s most beautiful public spaces. Right now, it is a totally BARREN field of Prime Waterfront Real Estate along our Mighty Potomac River,” he wrote on Truth Social.

“When finished, West Potomac Park will be a World Class Masterpiece with elegant Landscaping, and adorned with Beautiful Statues, and be yet another one of my great projects to make Washington, D.C., the Safest and Most Beautiful Capital in the World,” he added.

This follows the Trump administration’s renovations to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The project, which cost roughly $14 million, was completed earlier this month, but green algae was spotted in the water just days later.

“What you are seeing is residual algae from the supply lines which have been sitting dormant for eight weeks while construction has been taking place. It’s part of the normal startup process,” an Interior Department spokesperson told The Independent late last week.

“We are removing the algae, and the nanobubblers will maintain the pool and keep it algae free,” the spokesperson added.