Donald Trump's favorite architect presented a White House redesign project in Russia.

Rodney Mims Cook Jr., whom Trump appointed chairman of the Commission on Fine Arts in January, spoke at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum—Russia's version of the World Economic Forum in Switzerland—and outlined plans to rebuild the US capital, writes The Daily Beast.

"The President asked me to help him oversee the White House annex," Cook announced at a roundtable discussion. Seated next to him was American actor Steven Seagal, known for his sympathies to Vladimir Putin.

"This is the White House Ballroom," the architect continued, showing a model of the opulent marble structure currently being built on the site of the historic East Wing.

On the subject: Trump has revealed what his presidential library in Miami will look like: a giant skyscraper with a spire on the roof.

The ballroom project has drawn sharp criticism from historic preservationists. Government ethics experts cited funding issues: a significant portion of the funding came from corporations and billionaires interested in collaborating with the administration.

The project's cost was initially estimated at $200 million, but has since risen to $400 million. Furthermore, the cost could increase by another $1 billion in taxpayer money if the Senate Republican bill, which would allocate these funds for supposed "security," is passed. Trump previously promised that the project would not receive a cent from the budget.

Cook was equally enthusiastic when he unveiled another project: the Trump Arch near Arlington National Cemetery, inspired by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

"The arch is 166 feet [approximately 50 meters] high. I assist the president and also oversee this project," he said. "The president is very proud of it."

Cook added that there were "some complications" during construction with the mountings for the figure planned to be installed at the top.

"I said, 'Mr. President, I'm afraid a gust of wind could blow your angel all the way to Arlington House,'" he joked, but the remark drew no reaction from the panelists.

Concluding his account of Trump's projects in Washington, Cook noted that in the US, the presidential arch is jokingly compared to the striking "golden arches" of the McDonald's logo. Once again, there weren't even a smile at the table.

After his speech, the moderator remarked that after such an “extensive overview” of the architect’s projects and achievements, he “doesn’t even understand who to give the floor to now.”

Critics have repeatedly noted that Trump's quest for self-importance—whether by repainting the Lincoln Memorial pool "flag blue" or renaming the Kennedy Center after himself—seems very much like a dictatorial ploy.

However, judging by the audience's reaction, these ideas failed to impress. This is largely because Vladimir Putin himself is known for large-scale and expensive projects linked to his personal image: from a $1,3 billion palace on the Black Sea to the $50 billion Sochi Olympics and a $3,6 billion bridge to annexed Crimea.

Cook became the first official US representative to attend the forum since then-Ambassador John Tefft in 2017. Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, most Western governments and companies will boycott the event.

Despite this, Cook, accompanied by Steven Seagal, was part of the entire delegation that Trump reportedly sent to the forum to represent US interests. That same day, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied knowledge of the American delegation's presence in St. Petersburg during a Senate hearing.

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"I don't know about the delegation that went there," he told Democratic Senator Dick Durbin. "I know about the event itself, I know it's being held. But I don't think there are any high-level U.S. representatives there…"

"I'm not sure what level the delegation is," Durbin interrupted. "But the idea that we have some kind of official delegation that includes actor Steven Seagal as one of the representatives of the United States is thought-provoking."

The publication sent a request to the White House asking for comment on this situation.

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