President Donald Trump has continued his redesign of the White House Rose Garden with the recent addition of a bronze statue of Thomas Jefferson, the nation’s third president. The statue, created by Colorado-based sculptor George Lundeen, was gifted to the White House and complements several other representations of Founding Fathers arrayed along one side of the garden facing the Oval Office.
The Jefferson sculpture depicts him seated on a bench, holding a quill and writing the Declaration of Independence. This contrasts with other nearby statues representing figures such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and a Revolutionary War-themed piece called Freedom’s Charge. According to a White House official, most of the other statues are on loan, whereas the Jefferson statue is a permanent gift.
Lundeen is also known for crafting a life-size bronze statue of President Trump, called the Defiance Monument. This particular piece commemorates the moment Trump raised his fist following a 2024 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. Bronze castings of the Defiance Monument are displayed at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, as well as locations such as the University of Missouri and the Booth Western Art Museum in Georgia.
The Jefferson statue currently sits facing the Truman Balcony with its back to the Oval Office. This placement is temporary, pending final installation on a reinforced site where it will face the Rose Garden and the Oval Office directly, the official said.
Looking ahead, the statue’s permanent home after Trump’s presidency remains undecided. The National Archives may transfer the sculpture to the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library in Miami. Alternatively, the Trump library could loan or donate it back to the White House. If donated, ownership would pass to the White House, with upkeep managed by the White House Usher’s Office and the National Park Service.
The unveiling of the Jefferson statue is part of a broader effort by Trump to leave a distinct imprint on the White House and Washington, D.C. During his term, he has introduced numerous design changes, including displaying portraits of presidents and military flags in the Oval Office, adding gold accents, and transforming the Rose Garden’s grass lawn into paved surfaces. A major current project includes the construction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom following the controversial demolition of the East Wing. Trump’s administration is also overseeing urban projects such as a Triumphal Arch and renovations to the Reflecting Pool. Critics have raised objections to several of these alterations.