OAN Staff Jenna Lee and Brooke Mallory
5:50 PM – Friday, May 15, 2026
President Donald Trump announced his plans to establish the “National Garden of American Heroes” in West Potomac Park, a prominent waterfront location along the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.
Intended to honor hundreds of influential historical figures ahead of the United States’ 250th anniversary, the outdoor sculpture garden is slated to feature 250 life-sized statues of iconic Americans.
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The proposed monuments will depict a wide array of notable individuals, including historical giants like Abraham Lincoln and Christopher Columbus, pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart, astronauts Sally Ride, and legendary sports figures like Kobe Bryant and Muhammad Ali.
According to the president, the realistic, classical-style statues will celebrate a diverse group of contributors to the American story, specifically honoring Founding Fathers, military figures, religious leaders, civil rights champions, world-class athletes, artists and entertainers.
“The people of America (and the World!) will come here to learn and be inspired by the “Greats”. The National Garden of American Heroes is one more project we are undertaking to honor the 250th Birthday of the Greatest Nation on Earth, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!” wrote Trump on social media Friday.
President Trump initially presented the idea for the sculpture garden during his 2020 Independence Day address at Mount Rushmore, describing it as a direct counter-response to the removal of historical monuments by left-wing protesters during nationwide protests.
Days before leaving office at the end of his first term, he signed an executive order (EO) naming an initial 244 prominent individuals — ranging from Ronald Reagan to Jackie Robinson — to be commemorated with life-sized, classically styled statues.
While the succeeding Biden administration revoked the initiative in 2021, the project was revived following Trump’s return to office, with Congress appropriating $40 million under the administration’s 2025 budget reconciliation legislation to fund the procurement of the statues in accordance with his executive directives.
Securing funding, however, represents part of the hurdle required to build the display near the National Mall, as federal law mandates that major commemorative projects and memorials must obtain formal design and planning sign-offs from multiple regulatory bodies.
Demonstrating a clear preference for action over stagnant bureaucratic red tape, the Trump administration is moving rapidly to deliver these striking aesthetic enhancements across the nation’s capital.
The proposed sculpture garden is a cornerstone of a grand-scale portfolio of architectural and monument projects championed by the Trump White House to honor American heritage. This visionary blueprint also features a new White House ballroom and a majestic 250-foot triumphal arch seamlessly connecting the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
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