Donald Trump’s latest MAGA makeover comes with a very shiny price tag.
The Trump administration is spending $5 million of taxpayer money to restore and coat four bronze statues near the Lincoln Memorial in almost pure gold, ahead of America’s 250th anniversary.
The towering “Arts of War” and “Arts of Peace” statues will be covered in a thick layer of 23.75-karat gold leaf after the National Park Service fast-tracked the contract to The Gilders’ Studio, a Maryland-based company, in April without a full competitive bidding process.
The statues have suffered from structural and corrosion problems since their construction in 1951, with repairs in the 1970s failing to fully resolve the issues, according to NOTUS.
The regilding effort is part of a larger $95 million spending spree tied to the president’s campaign to remake D.C., NOTUS reports. This has also included marble repaving projects, fountain restorations, and park upgrades across the capital.
“President Donald J. Trump is fulfilling his commitment to make D.C. Safe and Beautiful as shown by record low crime rates and renovations to fountains and parks across the capital,” an Interior Department spokesperson said in a statement to the Daily Beast.
“The Arts of War statues are currently being regilded ahead of our nation’s 250. This is the first time in 50 years these statues have been regilded.”
The National Park Service cited the tight July 4 deadline as justification for fast-tracking the contract without full competition, NOTUS reported.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the Gilders’ Studio, the National Park Service and the White House for comment.
Among the other projects reportedly underway are multimillion-dollar renovations to Freedom Plaza, Meridian Hill Park, and Logan Circle, as well as restoration work on fountains near the National Mall and marble paving around the Simón Bolívar statue.
The administration has also poured more than $13 million into Trump’s controversial makeover of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
The project ballooned far beyond Trump’s original estimate and sparked scrutiny after The New York Times reported the contractor’s profit margins and overheads were unusually steep.
Trump had initially claimed the reflecting pool renovations would cost just $1.8 million and take one or two weeks. The project ultimately stretched beyond a month, with costs soaring to $13.1 million.
The Interior Department defended the spending spree, arguing that the compressed timelines were necessary to complete the projects before the July 4, 2026, celebrations marking America’s 250th anniversary.
“The contract price reflects the effort necessary to expedite the timeline of completing the leak prevention coating project—more people, more materials, more equipment and longer hours ahead of our 250th,” a spokesperson for the department told the Daily Beast in a statement earlier this week.
The gold horse statues are far from the only gilded makeover Trump has pursued since returning to office.
Just weeks into his second term, Trump began dramatically remaking the Oval Office with elaborate gold decor, including gold-plated moldings, medallions, mirrors, cherubs, eagles, and ornate trim around the room’s doors, fireplace, and bookcases.
The president even flew his personal “gold guy,” Florida designer John Icart, to Washington aboard Air Force One to help oversee the makeover.
The White House’s Cabinet Room has also undergone a dramatic gold-heavy transformation, with White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino Jr. showing off 24-karat gold decals, gold-framed portraits, ornate moldings, and a gilded mirror pulled from a White House vault.
