US President Donald Trump has given up dyeing his hair golden because it is now naturally white. It’s “the only concession to old age,” one of the Republican leader’s senior staffers reported to New York Magazine. Although Trump claims he feels the same as he did “40 years ago,” the chair doctors have “given him months and sometimes days to live” several times.
The octogenarian leader’s actions suggest he was “thinking more about what he will be remembered for,” a senior White House official said.
That said, Trump’s grand plan for the White House ballroom “is about leaving a legacy,” the official added. A historic part of the White House — the East Wing — was demolished to make Trump’s vision a reality. On July 31, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the $400 million project, called a “gift” to the American people. The estimated cost of the 90,000 square foot ballroom project is over $400 million. When completed, it is expected to host 650 seated guests.
From the gilded reconstruction of the White House, the paving over the Rose Garden to the “Arc de Trump”, the 79-year-old leader wants to leave something tangible. The plan to build a triumphal arch on the opposite side of the Arlington Memorial Bridge from the Lincoln Memorial is to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
“Trump doesn’t think about legacy in terms of adopted policies”
Regarding the structures Trump plans to build, a Republican operative with ties to the administration said, “He’s not thinking about a legacy in terms of the policies he’s made,” New York Magazine reported. For the US president, legacy translates to “the buildings he can leave behind and the prizes he can win,” a Republican operative said. His pursuit of the Nobel Peace Prize and the renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center indicate that he is focused on leaving a legacy through major projects rather than policies.
Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller called Trump a “superhuman president,” saying, “He can work harder and has a better memory and more stamina and more energy than a normal mortal,” New York Magazine reported.
Frequent bruising on the backs of his hands and swollen ankles have often raised concerns about his health, but the US president, who turns 80 on June 14, said: “I don’t need to worry about myself because I’m in perfect health.”
