A video posted on social media on Monday night has unveiled plans for a proposed Donald J. Trump presidential library in Miami, drawing widespread mockery. The 1-minute-40-second AI-generated rendering depicts a 50-storey structure covered in Trump's trademark gold, featuring a giant statue of the former president and a $400m Boeing 'flying palace' gifted by Qatar in its lobby.
The building would tower over surrounding structures, including the nearby Miami Freedom Tower, a historic symbol of freedom. Eric Trump, the president's son and co-chair of the non-profit foundation seeking donations for the project, praised the design as 'a lasting testament to an amazing man, an amazing developer, and the greatest President our Nation has ever known.'
The release coincided with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signing a law renaming Palm Beach International Airport after Trump. However, critics were quick to deride the plans. The press office of California Governor Gavin Newsom compared the gold statue to effigies of other world leaders, while author Rutger Bregman likened the scene to a biblical idol.
The video did not specify a timeline for construction, but the waterfront land in Miami already belongs to Eric Trump's foundation, following a controversial transfer from Miami-Dade College (MDC) last year. A federal judge initially blocked the deal due to insufficient public notice, but the ruling was overturned, and the land was ceded to the state and then to Eric Trump.
Local historian Marvin Dunn, who brought a lawsuit against the transfer, described it as 'a land giveaway to the Trump Library Foundation.' Plans for the library also include an amphitheater, a replica of the Oval Office, and a re-creation of the new ballroom Trump is building at the White House. Eric Trump told the Miami Herald, 'Miami deserves this building. It will be a masterpiece, the likes of which have never been seen in Florida or really anywhere.'
