Trump statue garden in budget bill; South Dakota a potential site

Tribal leaders and advocates condemn the plan as a violation of treaty rights and a desecration of Lakota sacred sites

A conceptual drawing by Storyland Studios of a National Garden of American Heroes near Mount Rushmore. (Courtesy of South Dakota Governor’s Office)

The House-passed “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” includes a $40 million appropriation for former President Donald Trump’s proposed National Garden of American Heroes.

The provision, buried in Section 80305, directs the U.S. Department of the Interior to carry out Executive Order 13934 of July 3, 2020 — the directive that first established the statue park.

Gov. Rhoden will delay special session on prison