Preservationists Sue to Block Trump's National Garden of American Heroes on National Mall
On June 15, 2026, six preservation and cultural organizations filed a lawsuit to prevent the construction of the National Garden of American Heroes at West Potomac Park, Washington, D.C. This initiative, proposed by Donald Trump via executive order in 2020 and later revoked by Joe Biden, aims to erect 250 statues of significant historical figures, including Muhammad Ali, Susan B. Anthony, and Neil Armstrong. The project was revived on January 29, 2025, with funding of $40 million appropriated by Congress in July 2025 for the statue constructions, which will feature materials like marble and bronze.
Key facts
- Lawsuit filed June 15, 2026, by six preservation and cultural groups.
- Project: National Garden of American Heroes at West Potomac Park.
- Garden to feature 250 statues of historical figures.
- Trump first proposed the garden via executive order in 2020; revoked by Biden in 2021.
- Trump revived the plan on Jan. 29, 2025, with a White House task force.
- Congress appropriated $40 million to NEH in July 2025 for statues.
- Maximum $200,000 per statue; materials: marble, granite, bronze, copper, or brass.
- Statue subjects include Muhammad Ali, Susan B. Anthony, Louis Armstrong, Julia Child, Neil Armstrong.
Entities
Artists
- Muhammad Ali
- Susan B. Anthony
- Louis Armstrong
- Julia Child
- Neil Armstrong
Institutions
- White House
- Department of the Interior
- National Endowment for the Humanities
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
- Congress
- White House Task Force on Celebrating America's 250th Birthday
Locations
- Washington, D.C.
- West Potomac Park
- National Mall
- Lincoln Memorial
- Jefferson Memorial
- United States