A sitting U.S. senator says he’d tear down a White House ballroom and demolish a planned arch near Arlington National Cemetery if he ever becomes commander-in-chief, all because of his personal vendetta against Donald Trump.
Sen. Ruben Gallego, the Arizona Democrat, made the stunning declaration Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union,” promising to erase virtually every physical mark President Trump has made on the nation’s capital. When host Jake Tapper asked whether he’d advocate for destroying Trump’s additions to Washington, D.C., Gallego didn’t hesitate.
“I think I’d be advocating for almost all of that,” Gallego said.
The freshman senator, who hasn’t officially announced a 2028 presidential bid but clearly has his eye on the Oval Office, launched into a tirade against the sitting president. He accused Trump of attempting “an actual coup” on January 6 and claimed Trump “has done everything to destroy this country.”
“That right there is a reason why we should not have anything named toward him,” Gallego declared.
The Arizona lawmaker took particular aim at Trump’s planned arch, which would be visible from Arlington National Cemetery. Gallego called it an “ugly monstrosity” that would mar the view from Section 60, where fallen service members from recent conflicts are buried.
“This man has done nothing but actually destroy the very fundamental things that these men and women have fought for, which is to save this country in continuous democracy,” Gallego claimed.
Tapper had outlined the scope of Trump’s building projects during the interview, noting the president’s plans for a White House ballroom, the arch, and attempts to rename landmarks including the Kennedy Center and the reflecting pool. Democrats have made clear these changes will become campaign fodder heading into the next presidential cycle.
Gallego seized on the Kennedy Center controversy, defending the legacy of President John F. Kennedy while attacking Trump in harsh terms.
“The fact that he wants to destroy the Kennedy Center, a man that contributed so much to this country, to replace it with his name, who has done everything to destroy this country, is another reason why we have to make sure that we wipe him out,” the senator said.
The senator also took aim at Trump’s leadership of federal agencies, claiming the president “has destroyed the institutions that have kept this government together through some of the hardest times” and specifically cited the Department of Justice as an example.
Gallego tried to frame his scorched-earth approach as principled rather than personal.
“This is not me trying to get to Donald Trump because I don’t like Donald Trump, it’s because of what Donald Trump has done to this country,” he insisted.
The comments offer a window into what a potential Gallego presidential campaign might look like: heavy on Trump attacks, light on policy vision. Rather than articulating what he’d build, the senator focused entirely on what he’d destroy.
For voters who’ve watched Democrats struggle to move beyond their Trump obsession, Sunday’s interview provided little evidence the party is ready to turn the page. Gallego, a Marine Corps veteran who won his Senate seat in 2024, appears ready to make opposition to Trump’s legacy the centerpiece of any future White House bid.
Whether that message resonates with Americans more concerned about inflation, border security, and kitchen-table issues remains to be seen.
