President Trump: “That’s true […]. Nobody will do it once I’m gone. When I leave here, nobody will.”

Atlanta, Ga. — New reporting highlights that President Donald Trump agrees with Senator Jon Ossoff’s assertion that the disgraced president is only building monuments to himself because “no one will honor him when he is gone.” 

In a recent speech, Sen. Ossoff said, “He’s building a monument to himself. But see, Atlanta, he’s doing these things now, because no one will honor him when he’s gone. Because he’s a failed president and a national disgrace.”

In an interview with New York Magazine, President Trump addressed his controversial and costly ballroom project, and when asked about Sen. Ossoff’s assertion he “does not dispute it.” 

“Jon Ossoff, the Democratic senator from Georgia […] made headlines earlier this year for positing that Trump is building monuments to himself because he knows no one else will do it once he’s gone. When I put that idea to Trump, he does not dispute it. ‘That’s true,’ Trump says. ‘Nobody will do it once I’m gone. When I leave here, nobody will,’” reported New York Magazine.

People: Trump Says Jon Ossoff Is Right That If He Doesn’t Build Monuments to Himself, Nobody Else Will
By Greta Bjornson | September 4, 2026

KEY EXCERPTS

• President Donald Trump made the rare move of agreeing with one of his Democratic opponents in a recent interview with New York magazine published on Friday, Sept. 4.

• Trump, 80, spoke with New York about his ongoing renovations at the White House, including his controversial ballroom project. At one point in his interview with the outlet, the president surprisingly supported remarks made by Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff, who said earlier this year that Trump is building his own monuments because he knows nobody else will do it for him.

• When asked about Ossoff’s words, Trump told New York, “That’s true.”

• He added, “Nobody will do it once I’m gone. When I leave here, nobody will.”

• Trump’s comment comes just as his administration is beginning work on a planned arch honoring the president. […] 

• […] When Trump was asked last year who the arch was for, he replied, “Me.”

• The arch is one of several projects Trump has undertaken since his return to the White House in January 2025. His administration has altered over 100 structures in Washington, D.C., alone, according to New York, which reported that the projects have collectively cost over a billion dollars.

• The planned White House ballroom is the most expensive project in Trump’s roster, with an $800 million estimated price tag, according to New York. U.S. taxpayers are expected to foot more than half the bill for the project, despite Trump’s repeated claims otherwise. […]

• The ballroom could serve as a sort of memorial to Trump, who has reportedly floated the idea of naming the venue after himself.

• ABC News reported in October that senior officials within the Trump administration were using the title, “The President Donald J. Trump Ballroom,” a name that they believed was likely to become permanent. […] 

• While speaking with New York for Friday’s story, the president did not confirm whether the ballroom will be named in his honor, but said he hoped it would.

• “It should,” he said. “I don’t know if it will, but it should.”

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