Why History Matters

Donald Trump's trashing of the White House is emblematic of his total disregard for American history and American institutions.

Is anyone surprised that Donald Trump lied when he said that his new, oversized and gaudy ballroom would fit within the existing footprint of the White House? He said that its construction would have no impact on the existing structure. That was shown for the falsehood it is yesterday when construction crews began tearing down portions of the Executive Mansion’s historic East Wing. We are talking about the place where Abraham Lincoln’s and John Kennedy’s caskets lie-in-state following their assassinations, where the Camp David accords were signed and where President Obama announced the killing of Osama bin Laden. Many of this nation’s most significant moments occurred in the East Wing. While the impact of the construction on the East Room, built in 1902, is unclear, the idea that this ballroom will be adjacent to this historic and sacred ground is the same as if we were to add a party room to St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Just as he has with the Constitution, Trump has been systematically trashing the White House to re-make it into something representing his own perverted vision. It started with his redecoration - “trashing” is a better term - of the Oval Office. It is now a gilded collection of the bazaar that is more reminiscent of a French whore house than as the seat of American government. On both sides of the White House, he has placed gigantic flagpoles with equally oversized American flags. Of course, there is still the flag that has always flown from the roof of the White House, just in case you forgot what country you are in. Trump also trashed the Jacqueline Kennedy’s Rose Garden, turning it into a Sonic Drive-In style patio complete with tacky umbrellas. (Will the Secret Service serve a bellhops?)

Why does this matter? It matters because our history matters. Just as he has with other American institutions such as the Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian, Trump has engaged in a reckless slash and burn approach that ignores the historical significance of our institutions and their artifacts. Historical sites such as the White House tell us who we are, where we come from, where we’ve been and about our hopes and aspirations. Trump is trying to imprint his distorted vision of America, which he apparently sees as one great big casino that will eventually, as have other properties he “managed,” go bankrupt.

At a more sinister level, we’ve seen the Trump administration systematically sanitizing American history. He has made it clear that he wants less emphasis - meaning no emphasis - on topics such as slavery, civil rights and even his own impeachments. He literally wants to rewrite American history in his own image. That makes perfect sense when one considers that he has repeatedly shown that he has absolutely no clue about our American story. (Remember how our troops protected the airports during the Revolutionary War?) Again, why does this matter? If a people cannot learn from both the successes and failures of their collective past, they risk falling into an endless loop of misadventures that impede national and social progress. I am not saying that history necessarily repeats itself. But it often rhymes. For example, it would be wise to remember the examples of Vietnam, Iraq and even Ukraine before the United States begins an unprovoked and unilateral war against Venezuela.

It sickens me to see a man who, for God knows what reason the American people entrusted to lead them, shows so much contempt for them. As previously discussed in this space, last weekend’s meme of the President literally crapping on people protesting his abusive and obscene administration is vile and disgusting. I don’t care who you voted for. But can you point to a single example of a previous American president showing this level of contempt for his constituents and their collective history? Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon and George W. Bush - presidents who were historically unpopular at some point of their terms - never did anything like it. As vividly demonstrated last weekend by the 7 million people who participated in the No Kings protests, the American people are increasingly willing to put up with Trump’s imperial, stupefying and maniacal reign. The best hope of America’s past and future is that those same people who took to the streets last weekend register their complaints at the polls in November 2026. This is not a time to remain silent while our wannabe king slices and dices American history and American institutions. As long as Donald Trump and his merry band of Republican sycophants continue to rule the roost, we risk not only losing our history - our collective memory - but we also risk losing our souls.