U.S. Representative Andy Ogles of Tennessee has formally asked Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to add President Donald Trump’s likeness to Mount Rushmore, reviving a decades-old discussion over altering the Black Hills monument. In a letter dated July 3, Ogles urged Burgum to direct the National Park Service to prepare for a fifth presidential carving alongside George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. The request follows a bill filed in January by Florida Republican Anna Paulina Luna that also sought to honor Trump on the granite façade. Burgum signaled openness to the idea in a March interview, saying the site "definitely" had room, although no formal Interior Department review has been announced. Technical experts and the National Park Service say the proposal faces formidable obstacles. In a June 27 statement, the agency said the sculpted portion of the mountain has been “thoroughly evaluated” and lacks any stable rock for further carvings. Geomechanical engineer Paul Nelson, who oversaw structural monitoring at the memorial, warned that removing additional material could destabilize existing faces, calling a new carving "extremely difficult, if not impossible." Conservationists also view Mount Rushmore as a completed work of art commemorating the nation’s first 150 years, while critics question whether Trump merits inclusion. Nonetheless, the symbolic push signals the former president’s influence within parts of the Republican Party as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026.