Trump's Presidential Library Would Be Unlike Any Other — and Could Make Him Millions

President Donald Trump wants to build a presidential library unlike anything the United States has ever seen. The plan calls for a 47-story skyscraper in downtown Miami, Florida, with a giant jet airplane in the lobby and huge glowing letters spelling "TRUMP" on top. Critics say the project is really a money-making business dressed up as a library, and some have taken the matter to court to try to stop it.

Every president builds a library after leaving office. These buildings hold important records from a president's time in the White House, and they often include museums that the public can visit. But Trump's plan goes much further than any previous presidential library, and that has sparked a serious debate about what is allowed — and what is fair.

The proposed Trump library would sit on land that used to be a parking lot at Miami Dade College. The state of Florida gave that land to Trump's library foundation for just $10, even though experts say it could be worth more than $300 million on the open market. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis pushed for the deal, saying no state has done more to support Trump's agenda than Florida.

A historian named Marvin Dunn was outraged by the land deal. He said college leaders did not give the public enough warning before voting to hand the land over. He also argued that giving away such valuable property hurts students and the college community. "Don't steal from kids for your so-called legacy," Dunn said. He filed a lawsuit to try to block the transfer, and a judge temporarily stopped it, but college trustees voted again at a new meeting and the transfer went through.

Dunn did not give up. He joined a federal lawsuit with three other people, including a college student, arguing the land gift breaks a rule in the U.S. Constitution called the "emoluments clause." That clause is meant to stop government officials from giving the president personal financial gifts. The lawsuit says the land deal does exactly that, especially since the building would mostly be a hotel or office space that could make Trump a lot of money.

The building itself would be enormous and expensive. Construction is expected to cost at least $950 million, and all of that money would come from charitable donations — meaning donors can get a tax break for giving. The most eye-catching feature inside would be a Boeing 747 jumbo jet that was given to Trump by the government of Qatar. The U.S. military is spending a reported $5.1 billion to turn it into a new Air Force One, and it would be put on display in the library's lobby.

Trump has been open about what the building is really about. "I don't believe in building libraries or museums," Trump told reporters. "Could be office, but it's most likely going to be a hotel with a beautiful building underneath and a 747 Air Force One in the lobby, which is going to be a trick." Those words have alarmed people who believe a presidential library should focus on history and public service, not hotel profits.

Several major companies have already donated money to the Trump library. ABC News agreed to give $15 million, Meta gave $22 million, and Paramount gave $16 million. A Japanese tech company called Softbank gave $50 million, and that donation raised concerns because two months later the Trump administration announced a big business deal that helped Softbank. These donations came through legal settlements or direct gifts, and there is no law requiring the foundation to reveal who else has given money.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, has been asking tough questions about the library's funding. She wants to know who is donating money, how much they are giving, and what they might be getting in return. "He started collecting money while he's still president and has favors to hand out," Warren said. Right now, presidential library foundations are not required to reveal who their donors are, so much of the funding remains a mystery.

Presidential libraries have been getting bigger and more expensive for decades. The Obama Presidential Center in Chicago cost $909 million and covers nearly 20 acres. But historians say turning a presidential library into a working hotel would be something that has truly never been done before. Lawyers for Trump say there is no proof the project will give him a personal financial benefit, but critics argue that a luxury skyscraper with his name on it — built on land received for almost nothing — will clearly help him profit long after he leaves office.