As if having a reality show star as the president wasn't wild enough, things could get even crazier as Donald Trump may be plotting on adding his face to one of America's most famous monuments.
TheNew York Times reported on Saturday that Trump and the White House reached out to South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem last year about possibly adding his face to Mount Rushmore. Noem has said before that it's Trump's "dream" to be added to Mount Rushmore next to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt.
"He said, 'Kristi, come on over here. Shake my hand,' and so I shook his hand, and I said, 'Mr. President, you should come to South Dakota sometime. We have Mount Rushmore.' And he goes, 'Do you know it's my dream to have my face on Mount Rushmore?'" Noem said in a 2017 interview before explaining that she thought the President was joking so she laughed. "He wasn't laughing, so he was totally serious."
Trump followed this up by reaching out to South Dakota last year to inquire about the process of adding a face to the mountain. However, Noem doesn't seem totally opposed to the idea. Noem invited Trump to speak at this year's South Dakota Fourth of July celebration. While introducing him, she compared Trump to Theodore Roosevelt, claiming he is a leader who "braves the dangers of the arena." She then made it clear that protestors should respect monuments and historical figures. Along with this, Noem privately presented Donald Trump with a four-foot replica of Mount Rushmore that included his face.
Trump's Fourth of July speech disregarded activists and native tribal leaders who have criticized Mount Rushmore for being placed on sacred native land.
"As we meet here tonight there is a growing danger that threatens every blessing our ancestors fought so hard for," Trump said.
The White House source also emphasized to the Times that Mount Rushmore is a federal monument so consulting with South Dakota was merely a courtesy.
