The White House has dismissed all six members of the Commission of Fine Arts, a federally chartered design advisory board that was preparing to evaluate President Donald Trump’s ambitious redevelopment goals — including a proposed triumphal arch in Washington and a major new $300 million White House ballroom.
The commissioners — all appointed by President Biden — received abrupt termination notices Tuesday. “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,” stated one email reviewed by The Washington Post.
The shake-up comes as Trump accelerates construction-related priorities early in his second term, seeking to quickly move significant projects through the Washington review process and install supporters in sensitive oversight positions.
Created more than a century ago, the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) provides design oversight for federal buildings, memorials, monuments, and key White House changes. While advisory, its input has been respected by generations of presidents.
White House officials confirmed the dismissal plan, saying a pro-Trump replacement board is forthcoming. “We are preparing to appoint a new slate of members to the commission that are more aligned with President Trump’s ‘America First’ policies,” a White House official said.
Bruce Becker, one of the fired commissioners, praised the agency’s long-standing role. He said the commission “plays an important role in shaping the way the public experiences our nation’s capital and the historic buildings it contains, which serve as symbols of our democracy.”
The removal follows Trump’s earlier decision to fire Biden-era members of the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), another regulatory body responsible for evaluating external construction on executive campus buildings. Trump loyalists now control a majority of that 12-member board.
White House officials plan to send ballroom plans to the NCPC for review. However, Trump may avoid CFA scrutiny — following the precedent set in 1947 when Harry Truman overrode the group to construct the White House’s iconic balcony.
Architectural experts say the president appears eager to fast-track construction by invoking similar executive latitude.
Commissioners had anticipated reviewing Trump’s new ballroom design — particularly after the president unexpectedly demolished the White House East Wing last week, a move that triggered concern among historic preservation experts.
Becker said the CFA “would look forward to a full review of the plans for the new structure that will replace the East Wing,” had the commissioners not been removed.
The CFA would also likely have reviewed Trump’s triumphal arch — which is planned for federal property outside the White House complex and therefore subject to a wider spectrum of regulatory checks.
This latest purge reflects a continuation of partisan reshuffling that began during Biden’s first year in office. Biden removed Trump-appointed CFA and NCPC members in 2021, claiming his administration wanted to diversify the commissions. Critics at the time said the change risked overt politicization of traditionally neutral planning bodies.
The CFA has lacked a permanent chair since architect Billie Tsien stepped down earlier this year. Tsien said her term had expired and she expected Trump wouldn’t reappoint her.
With approvals shifting toward panels now stacked with Trump-aligned members, key decisions — including final approval of the East Wing replacement and planning for the triumphal arch — could advance more quickly than expected.
White House officials say “all necessary agencies and entities who need to review the project” are being consulted, but uncertainty remains over how many review points the administration will seek to bypass in the rush to deliver major legacy construction wins.
Originally reported by Dan Diamond in The Washington Post.
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