President Trump Terminates All Members of the Commission of Fine Arts
Since U.S. President Donald Trump commenced his second term in January, a series of changes have transpired within federal agencies and commissions, and this pattern has regrettably persisted. As initially reported by The Washington Post, the administration has dismissed all members of the Commission of Fine Arts. This autonomous federal agency is tasked with evaluating “matters of design and aesthetics” in the nation’s capital.
The commission was prepared to assess upcoming initiatives like President Trump’s envisioned triumphal arch and White House ballroom. The termination occurred on Tuesday, when members received an email that stated, “On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as a member of the Commission of Fine Arts is terminated, effective immediately.”
Traditionally, the commission consists of seven experts in art, architecture, urban planning, and landscape design appointed by the president. The CFA had been lacking a chair since earlier this year, when architect Billie Tsien stepped down, anticipating that President Trump would not extend her tenure. The other six commission members, architects Bruce Redman Becker, Peter D Cook, William J Lenihan, landscape architect Lisa E Delplace, and urban planners Justin Garrett Moore and Hazel Ruth Edward, had been hoping to examine proposals for President Trump’s anticipated triumphal arch, as it would be located on Federal Land.
The CFA, created by Congress in 1910, offers advice on issues such as national memorials, coins, medals, and the construction or renovation of government buildings. An official, who communicated with The Washington Post on the condition of anonymity, mentioned that there were intentions to appoint new members who are “more aligned with President Trump’s ‘America First’ policies.”
President Trump’s action is not without precedent. In 2021, then-President Joe Biden faced backlash for ousting four Trump appointees from the CFA, making him the first president to do so. At that time, President Biden defended his decision by expressing a desire to enhance the diversity of the panel.
The CFA overhaul follows the July dismissal of President Biden’s appointed members of the National Capital Planning Commission, an urban planning body that oversees construction projects beyond the White House. Will Scharf, President Trump’s staff secretary, now serves as chairman of the 12-member board. Again, this is not without historical context, as President Biden previously terminated Trump-appointed members of the commission, making these changes the latest unfortunate instance of an independent commission being politicized.