Video shows dramatic design for Trump presidential library

President Donald Trump is known for making bold moves, and his presidential library could be among his boldest.

Eric Trump, the president’s son, unveiled plans Monday for the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library and Museum, a glistening tower that would dwarf the Miami skyline.

“Over the past six months, I have poured my heart and soul into this project with my incredible team at (The Trump Organization),” Eric Trump wrote on X. “This landmark on the water in Miami, Florida, will stand as a lasting testament to an amazing man, an amazing developer, and the greatest president our nation has ever known.”

A video featuring artist renderings shows a glass building with a large American flag displayed prominently on its side and a giant red, white and blue antenna on top.

The structure resembles New York’s Freedom Tower, built on the site of the Sept. 11 attacks, as well as aspects of Trump Tower in New York, such as gold escalators and the Trump name in gold.

The video shows an all-gold entrance that includes the presidential seal. In the main lobby, aircraft are on display, including Trump’s Air Force One, a military helicopter and a jet.

Other highlights include a large ballroom, similar to one Trump is building at the White House, and replicas of Trump’s Oval Office and the White House Cross Hall, which features presidential portraits.

There is also a rooftop patio for leisure and events.

In a move some may find ostentatious, the building’s auditorium is shown with a towering golden statue of Trump with his right fist raised, a pose he made after being shot in the ear during a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania.

A website for the library contains links to donate but no further information about the project, such as its anticipated timeline or cost.

A nearly 90-year-old tradition

The tradition of presidential libraries began in 1939 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt donated his personal and presidential papers to the federal government and pledged land on his Hyde Park, New York, estate for a dedicated library and museum.

The system was formalized by the Presidential Libraries Act of 1955, which established a framework for privately built but federally maintained libraries to preserve presidential records and make them available to the public.

All presidents since Herbert Hoover, the 31st president, have an official presidential library administered by the National Archives and Records Administration. These libraries house important papers, records and historical materials from their administrations.

Several are located in the Midwest, including Harry S. Truman’s library in Independence, Missouri, and Dwight D. Eisenhower’s library in Abilene, Kansas.