'No Kings': Bill Kristol slams Trump's 'vanity projects' and proposed bank note

Since the start of his second term, President Donald Trump has initiated several renovation and beautification projects in Washington, D.C., some to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. and others to enhance the security of the White House. However, Democrats have labeled the initiatives as the president's "vanity projects," which he thinks will leave a mark of his presidency on the nation's capital. Critics have strongly opposed each of Trump's projects, with Bill Kristol denouncing them as authoritarian plans.

The so-called "vanity projects" of Trump include the $400 million Ball Room at the East Wing of the White House, the Triumphal Arch of Washington, dubbed as "arc de Trump" by Democrats, and the renovation of the Reflecting Pool to paint in "American Flag Blue." All of these have faced staunch opposition from Democrats as they have introduced several measures to block them. Trump recently came under fire for a settlement with the Department of Justice, which created a $1.776 billion "anti-weaponization" fund that critics argue will benefit his allies. More recently, the Treasury Department indicated that it was taking up plans to introduce a $250 bank note with Trump's face to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the nation. 

Opposing each of the projects, Kristol wrote: "No Trump arch. No Trump ballroom. No Trump slush fund. No Trump bank note. No Kings," the last one being a reference to the "No Kings" protests that reportedly mobilized millions of Americans who opposed Trump's authoritarian policies, especially his administration's crackdown on immigration. 

Despite the opposition, most of Trump's projects have been spearheaded with strong Republican support. After the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, a panel made up of Trump appointees, approved the revised designs for the Triumphal Arch, House Democrats led by Rep. Don Beyer announced legislation aimed at blocking the construction of the 250-foot landmark. The bill seeks to prohibit the construction of the arch and the use of any federal funds for the project without Congressional approval, according to TIME. 

Furthermore, against the $1.776 anti-weaponization fund, about 93 House Democrats filed an amicus brief in a federal court seeking to block it. Furthermore, California Gov. Gavin Newsom separately announced that any resident of his state who receives a share of his fund will be subjected to a 100% tax, reacting to the possibility of Jan. 6 rioters receiving a payout from the fund. Trump's Ball Room project, which has moved forward, has also faced opposition with roughly 150 Democratic lawmakers filing a legal brief asserting that construction can't continue without express consent from Congress, CBS News reported. 

However, the plans for a $250 note are seemingly moving forward as the Treasury Department is preparing to print with President Donald Trump's face on them, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday, as per NBC News. Bessent expressed that the administration was only waiting for the green light from Congress before going ahead. Bessent explained that as secretary, he has "two mandates" for currency: "At present, no living person can be on U.S. currency, and the currency must say 'In God We Trust.'"

He shared that there is proposed legislation on Capitol Hill to change the first requirement to allow Trump's face to be printed on the bills, and while the approval is yet to come, his department is preparing in advance to produce the currency.