Trump orders federal buildings to be built as Classical architecture

President Trump called for all federal public buildings to be built in a Classical style to honor tradition, foster civic pride, and inspire the citizenry.

Mr. Trump signed an executive order that applicable federal public buildings are constructed in a style that “uplifts and beautifies public spaces, ennobles our Nation, and commands respect from the general public,” the White House said.

The head of the General Services Administration is responsible for implementing the order, which establishes processes for ensuring architects and administrators with appropriate training are involved in building design.

The order mandates that all federal public buildings should be visually identifiable as civic buildings and respect regional architectural heritage.

Additionally, the order directs that Classical architecture is to serve as the preferred architectural style for all federal public buildings, especially in the District of Columbia.

Any design that diverges from classical architecture, the order requires, must convey “the dignity, enterprise, vigor, and stability of the American government and command public respect.”

The order requires notification to the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy when a building design deviates from the preferred style, including where a design embraces Brutalist, Deconstructivist, or other modernist architectural styles.

Since his first term, President Trump has sought to “beautify” the nation’s capital. 

The White House says he is “committed to ensuring that taxpayer-funded buildings reflect the values and aesthetic preferences of the American people.”

The White House notes that Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson personally guided the design of iconic structures like the Capitol Building and the White House, setting a standard for “timeless architecture.”

However, by the 1960s the federal government largely replaced traditional designs with modernist and Brutalist ones, which the Trump White House criticizes as “deeply unpopular” move and that “a majority of American taxpayers want classical, regionally inspired public buildings that beautify public spaces.”

During Mr. Trump’s first term, he signed an executive order in 2020, “Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture,” which President Biden rescinded in 2021.

In January 2025, Mr. Trump signed a memorandum directing the Administrator of the General Services Administration to provide recommendations on beautifying federal civic architecture and also signed an order to protect America’s monuments from vandalism.

Twice this year, in March and August, Mr. Trump signed order the White House described as steps toward making Washington, D.C. safe and beautiful.