MS NOW host Michael Steele on Tuesday had one suggestion for monuments erected by President Donald Trump during a “Weeknight” discussion on the 250-foot triumphal arch “vanity project” Trump wants built near Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

“Well, I have one just real quick solution I’m going to put on the table real fast,” Steele told his co-hosts Symone Sanders-Townsend and Luke Russert. “And that is, tear it all down — every last inch of it. Every last bit. If his name is on it, take it off. If he built it, tear it down.”

He explained, “Because it was built without the proper permissions and protocol and processes that are required by both the Constitution and the Congress, and so it was built outside of the norm of things. This is a vanity project, as I said. Don’t do it.”

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum last week said excavation work will start later this month, however, confirming ground will be broken despite an ongoing lawsuit brought by Vietnam veterans — who argue that the arch would disrupt views of Arlington National Cemetery.

A federal judge has warned Trump not to start building without congressional approval.

The MAGA leader is facing disastrous approval ratings amid a nationwide affordability crisis and an unpopular war on Iran that is driving up prices even further, but remains fixated on building his new White House ballroom and renovating the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Steele on Tuesday appeared to argue that his “solution” is only fair. The Trump administration has reportedly removed language that criticized a memorial to the Confederacy that once stood at Arlington — and has condemned reputable museums for their exhibits on slavery.

“We’ve been in this room before, when we’ve allowed our nation to build memorials to things that do not honor the nation,” said Steele. “And I give you, all of those Confederate memorials all around the state … which are coming back under this administration.”

The former chair of the Republican National Committee concluded, “Let’s tear it all down. Let’s rip it out, because it does not reflect who we are as a nation in the direction we need to go. So, I have my first bulldozer appointment coming up on January 2029.”

While his joke elicited laughter, Sanders-Townsend noted Steele isn’t the only one to suggest a future removal of these monuments. She quoted an MS NOW op-ed published Tuesday by journalist Paul Waldman — who argues this would help the American people heal.

“They must see that the recklessness, lawlessness and corruption of the Trump era are being put behind us so something better can take its place,” wrote Waldman. “And there is no better way to do that than to remove the monuments Trump has erected to himself.”

Watch the full “Weeknight” segment on MS NOW’s YouTube account.

By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.