Trump eyes 47 trees in Lafayette Square to advance his self-glorification agenda

By way of his social media platform, the president told the public that the passport says, “Welcome, but be good!” It suggested that Trump might not fully understand what a passport is — they’re given to Americans, not foreigners visiting the United States — though the use of his image and signature reflected his team’s broader goals about adding to the president’s self-glorification agenda.

It was not, however, the only recent evidence. The Washington Post reported:

President Donald Trump in recent months has cultivated a side project: counting the number of trees in a public park across the street from the White House.

Under Trump’s plans for Lafayette Square, which he has previously described as “the entrance to the White House,” the public park would feature 47 trees, matching his status as the nation’s 47th president, according to two people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to detail the administration’s plans for the park. The trees would all be maples, a favorite of the president’s.

According to the Post’s report, which has not been independently verified by MS NOW, the president “personally inspected Lafayette Square’s renovations Sunday morning.” (The park is literally across the street from the White House, on the north side of Pennsylvania Avenue.)

As a rule, when we think about Trump and Lafayette Square, we tend to focus on the anti-protester violence that unfolded there six years ago this month, or perhaps the president’s more recent focus on no-bid contracts for ornamental fountain repairs in the park.

Now, evidently, his interest in Lafayette Square has taken a rather personal turn.

As for the scope of the increasingly weird Trump glorification campaign, this seems like a good time to update the broader list:

U.S. currency: Trump recently announced plans to add his signature to U.S. dollars — a first for a sitting American president — which is not to be confused with plans for a massive 3-inch commemorative gold coin featuring Trump’s face.

Renaming buildings: The president’s allies tried to add Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center and successfully added his name to the Institute of Peace. By some accounts, the president expects the proposed White House ballroom to bear his name too.

U.S. military: Plans to construct “Trump-class” battleships are underway, and the nation’s next-generation fighter jet is set to have an “F-47” designation in honor of him. (Trump is the nation’s 47th president.)

Passports: The State Department is printing 40,000 commemorative Trump-branded passports that will be available starting on July 6.