Authoritarian regimes use architecture to project power and legitimize ideology. Donald Trump’s proposed Roman-style triumphal arch near the Lincoln Memorial and his classical architecture mandate are presented as political statements meant to cast him as a modern “Red Caesar” and advance a white Christian nationalist agenda. Drawing on imperial Roman symbolism long used by authoritarian and fascist regimes, these projects sanitize history and glorify dominance. Trump’s lavish White House renovations and planned ballroom echo imperial excess, reshaping public memory while prioritizing spectacle over democratic norms and public needs.