President Donald Trump has sparked quite a debate by taking the bust of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. out of the Oval Office and placing it in his private dining area. This news broke through Black Press USA and was later confirmed by Meidas Touch Network with some photo evidence. This move aligns with Trump’s current friendship with far-right activist Charlie Kirk.
Kirk has been outspoken about not agreeing with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, calling it a “huge mistake.”
Before this, the bust of Dr. King was a well-known and important feature in the Oval Office, with former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden having it there. It reminded us how far we’ve come with race and civil rights. People noticed it was missing after April, when the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, visited, and it was in the background.
Now that it’s gone, people are upset and think it was done intentionally.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzhrK_by63k
While it hasn’t been officially confirmed by Donald Trump’s people yet, the timing of taking down the bust has people talking, especially since Trump is still giving Kirk the red-carpet treatment at the White House. Kirk, who started Turning Point USA, has made claims, like saying DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) policies have led to the “diminishing” of white Americans. And Trump gave him a role at the Air Force Academy and had him there when Judge Jeanine Pirro took her oath.
He’s becoming a tight ally with the same beliefs as Donald Trump, which is scary for many.
Donald Trump Has Been Undoing Joe Biden’s Base Renamings
Fueling the controversy even more, Trump has promised to roll back efforts from the Biden administration that aimed to change the names of military bases named after Confederate generals. Despite claiming that the new names won’t explicitly praise the Confederacy, many critics argue that the whole renaming process is still packed with ideological baggage.
At a rally, Donald Trump disapproved and said, “They changed the name, we won wars out of these forts.”
This was a nod to the nine US Army bases that had been given new names in 2022 under former President Joe Biden. It was a move that Congress backed to separate the military from its ties to slavery and rebellion.
🚨 #BREAKING: President Trump just announced he is RESTORING the names of military bases which received woke name changes
Fort Pickett
Fort Hood
Fort Gordon
Fort Polk
Fort A.P. Hill
Fort Robert E. LeeALL being restored!
LEFTIST TEARS INCOMING pic.twitter.com/GoWvdWaAau
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 10, 2025
The names being considered for reinstatement are designed to resemble the old Confederate ones without directly commemorating the individuals who fought against the U.S. in the Civil War. However, this approach has only stirred up more worries among people who feel it’s a subtle nod to those unsavory times.
So, Donald Trump’s actions, even in 2025, could erode important civil rights progress.
Trump’s “Transparency” on Martin Luther King
It’s quite interesting that Donald Trump, during his speech in Washington, DC, talked about reversing the over-classification of government documents, like Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, and Robert F. Kennedy’s tragic deaths. He made this promise to a crowd cheering at Capital One Arena. He called it a move for “transparency and accountability.”
This happened shortly after he was placed on the hot seat for his handling of classified documents.
The situation with the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. bust feels like a mix of messages.
Trump Removes #MLK Bust from #OvalOffice
The civil rights icon’s likeness, once central in the Oval Office, has been relocated while #Trump hosts @charliekirk11, who’s called the Civil Rights Act a “mistake”https://t.co/pnryKF8JTd
— #TheResistance (@BoneKnightmare) June 17, 2025
On one hand, Donald Trump talks about Dr. Martin Luther King like he’s an inspiration, and on the other, they’re taking his statue out of a prominent spot. It seems like Trump is using his name to look good while cozying up to people who don’t think he made that much of a difference.
Now, whether it was just about moving things around for design or if there’s a deeper meaning, the point is clear: Trump’s version of the White House is shaping up to be a place that’s more about talking the talk than walking the walk when it comes to civil rights. They’re creating their own story of America, one that’s far from what Dr. King imagined.
