President Donald Trump reignited speculation about being added to Mount Rushmore during the nation’s America 250 celebration on Friday, sharing an AI-generated video featuring his likeness carved into the iconic monument while the White House voiced support for the idea.
Trump traveled to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota to deliver remarks kicking off the U.S.’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
Before taking the stage, the president shared an AI-generated video depicting a gold-colored version of Mount Rushmore with his face added alongside Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.
“I will be the greatest president for many, many years to come. And we’re gonna have a lot of fun tonight,” Trump said in the video’s voiceover before addressing the crowd at the memorial.
The Mount Rushmore theme extended to Air Force One, where cookies served to members of the first family and traveling reporters featured an image of Trump carved into the monument beside the four presidents already depicted.
The cookies bore the inscription, “Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Black Hills, South Dakota. Five Presidents.”
Bettina Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law, shared a photo of the cookie on social media, while CNN White House correspondent Betsy Klein also posted an image, noting that the treats served aboard Air Force One were “different.”
The White House also appeared to embrace the idea in a statement provided to reporters.
“There would be no better addition to the iconic Mount Rushmore than the 45th and 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump,” the statement said.
The administration has not announced any official proposal to alter the national monument.
Trump has periodically joked about or discussed the possibility of appearing on Mount Rushmore for years.
In 2018, then-Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD) said Trump had told her it was his “dream” to have his likeness added to the memorial, per the Daily Mail.
Asked in 2019 whether he wanted to be included, Trump replied, “If I answer that question, ‘Yes,’ I will end up with such bad publicity.”
The following year, after reports claimed he had raised the idea privately, Trump denied suggesting it but added that, considering his accomplishments, “sounds like a good idea to me!”
During a 2017 campaign rally, Trump also joked that even mentioning the possibility would generate headlines claiming he believed he belonged on the monument.
Friday’s appearance came as Trump has pursued several high-profile projects involving historic landmarks in Washington, D.C., including renovations to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and restoration work at the Lincoln Memorial.
During his speech beneath Mount Rushmore, Trump praised the four presidents immortalized on the monument and reflected on their significance in American history.
“Their faces are engraved on these bluffs, not only because of what they did, but to remind us forever who we are,” Trump said.
“These heroes exemplify what is timeless, enduring, eternal about the American character — and in the end it has always been that character, our distinct and unique identity.”
While the White House’s comments and the president’s social media post fueled renewed discussion, no official plans have been announced to alter Mount Rushmore, which is managed by the National Park Service and has remained unchanged since its completion in 1941.
