Trump's Presidency Marked by Extensive Self-Branding Across America
A recent analysis argues that Donald Trump is using his presidency primarily as a branding opportunity by affixing his name to numerous buildings, monuments, and government initiatives across the United States.
Notably, Trump's name was added to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The article claims that the center's board was installed by Trump himself, who appointed himself chair, and that this renaming did not receive Congressional authorization. This move is said to appropriate and colonize JFK’s memory rather than honor his legacy.
Additional examples of Trump’s branding push include adding his name to the US Institute of Peace, launching the website TrumpRx.gov, and creating 'Trump accounts' aimed at children's savings. The National Park Service also added Trump’s birthday, June 14, to free-admission days, accompanied by changes to admission policies on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth.
Plans have been announced for a 'Trump-class' navy battleship, the USS Defiant, with estimated costs of up to $15 billion per ship and an envisioned fleet of up to 20 vessels. The article questions the strategic value and highlights potential design flaws in this initiative.
This extensive branding drive is compared to the self-aggrandizing actions of Kaiser Wilhelm II. A 2018 remark by Trump at Mount Vernon, where he stated that presidents should name estates after themselves, is cited to contextualize this approach.
While White House communications frame the rebranding as beneficial to both Kennedy’s and Trump’s legacies, this narrative is criticized in the article as propaganda aimed at justifying controversial actions.
