Trump Appoints Unqualified Receptionist to Arts Commission
President Donald Trump appointed 26-year-old Chamblerlain Harris, his receptionist-turned-deputy director of Oval Office operations, to the Commission of Fine Arts on Thursday. Harris, who has served as an executive assistant and administrative staff member since Trump’s first term, lacks the art expertise traditionally required for commission membership, which historically advises on major design projects for presidential administrations.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung defended the appointment by claiming Harris “understands the President’s vision and appreciation of the arts like very few others,” despite her absence of formal credentials in architecture, design, or urban planning. The White House characterized her as a “loyal, trusted, and highly respected advisor” to Trump, prioritizing loyalty over demonstrated professional qualifications.
Architects and past commissioners criticized the appointment. Harvard Graduate School of Design professor and former Obama-appointed commissioner Alex Krieger called it “disastrous,” stating that appointees “have no qualifications to evaluate matters of design, architecture, or urban planning.” Previous commissioners included architect Billie Tsien, who is currently working on Barack Obama’s library, and landscape architect Perry Guillot, who redesigned the White House Rose Garden during Trump’s first term.
Harris’s swearing-in occurs on the same day the Commission of Fine Arts is expected to vote on advancing Trump’s controversial White House ballroom project, which involved demolishing the entire East Wing. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has attempted to block the demolition and construction effort, citing preservation concerns.
Architect Witold Rybczynski, who served on the commission under both George W. Bush and Barack Obama, acknowledged that past presidents have appointed some political figures and lesser-known experts to the panel, noting that “the degree of expertise … has varied.” However, the appointment of an unqualified staff member to oversee a major White House construction project demonstrates Trump’s pattern of prioritizing personal loyalty over institutional competence and expertise.