Renderings for the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library were released on Monday. The skewering of the design has been, predictably, fierce. Many are zeroing in on a towering gold statue of Trump with his fist raised, set in a massive auditorium.

The renderings in the nearly two-minute video, released by Eric Trump, depict a glass skyscraper that’s a close clone of New York City’s One World Trade Center (known as the Freedom Tower). “Some elements of the video appear to be AI-generated and it's unclear if the renders represent an early concept or the final design plan,” according to Forbes.

In the video, the waterfront skyscraper dominates the Miami skyline with Trump’s name displayed in gold lettering near the top.

Governor Newsom Trolls The Design

California Governor Gavin Newsom shared a collage on social media, pairing the Trump rendering with statues of dictators Kim Il Sung, Mao Zedong and Saparmurat Niyazov.

Scored with swelling instrumental music, the video also shows a golden escalator flanking what appears to be Air Force One. Replicas of the Oval Office, the White House Rose Garden, a gilded ballroom and a palm-tree lined courtyard are also included.

Trump’s Statue Compared To The Worship of Idols

Writing on X, historian and author Rutger Bregman compared the gold Trump statue to an idol, linking it to the Book of Exodus that forbids the creation or worship of “graven images.”

When posting the video, Eric Trump, who heads the library’s foundation, described the library as a “lasting testament” to his father. “I have poured my heart and soul into this project with my incredible team at @Trump,” he wrote.

‘Where Are The Books?’

Another line of criticism centered on the absence of books. The video showed no archival research facilities and no books, making the building appear more like a museum and monument to Trump’s brand. Traditional presidential libraries house documents, records and research collections managed in conjunction with the National Archives.

Trump, however, seemed to push back, saying, “I don’t believe in building libraries or museums,” and that, “it’s going to be most likely a hotel.”

Writing on X on March 11, well before the reveal, Horror author Stephen King noted that the “Trump Library is as much an oxymoron as jumbo shrimp. The guy doesn’t read anything but his own press releases, and only them if they’re from Fox News.”

Trump Supporters Juxtapose The Design With Barack Obama’s New Building

Trump supporters lauded the “patriotic” look of the tower, a symbol, they said, of true “Americanism.” In defending the design, many juxtaposed it to the Barack Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, slated to open later this year. And Trump did as well.

Social media posters mocked Obama’s building as a “trash can” and likened it to a prison, while lauding the sleek design of the new Trump tower.

The Obama building is a massive, monolithic form—a neo-brutalist design with a monumental aesthetic. It’s designed by Todd Williams Billie Tsien Architects in collaboration with Interactive Design Architects. The Center is envisioned as a campus rather than a single building. In part, its aim is to encourage civic engagement, according to press materials.

Trump’s library is being designed by Miami-based Bermello Ajamil & Partners.

Last September, Trump’s library found a home when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Republican state officials donated prime state-owned property. The 2.63-acre lot faces Biscayne Bay in downtown Miami and is worth $67 million, according to an NPR news report.