The National Park Service just handed a $5 million no-bid contract to a Maryland gilding studio. The job: coat four bronze horse statues near the Lincoln Memorial in 23.75-karat gold leaf. Deadline: July 4th.
That’s not a restoration. The horses were last restored in the 1970s and are showing their age — but there’s a reason you don’t rush a $5 million gilding job through without competitive bidding. The reason is usually that you’re not trying to get the best value. You’re trying to get it done fast, for someone who wants it done.
The horses are part of $95 million in Interior Department beautification contracts, all awarded between December 2025 and April of this year. Twenty million dollars’ worth weren’t even publicly reported until now.
The administration calls this honoring America’s 250th anniversary. That framing does a lot of work. Anniversaries don’t require no-bid contracts. They don’t require rushed timelines that preservationists warn could cause permanent damage to national landmarks. What they require is a deadline — and a deadline is a very useful thing if you want to spend public money without scrutiny.
There’s a pattern here. The $250 bill with Trump’s face. The triumphal arch. The White House ballroom. And now, gold horses. Each one is pitched as celebration. Each one is a president leaving his mark — on the monuments, the money, the skyline — using yours.
This isn’t a birthday gift to the country. It’s a monument to the arrogant, narcissistic, petty man throwing the party.
Sources: NOTUS