The regime wouldn’t last long though. Trump is old and unhealthy. It’s very likely that another term would be the end of him. What happens to their plan then?
That's the point. He takes bribes and will die soon. That means the billionaire class funding him can control him or just wait for his inevitable heart attack.
See also: Peter Thiel's Dark Enlightenment and rejection of democracy, and how he took Vance under his wing.
Yeah the malls themselves are hard to convert. Ditto for those unused office buildings downtown. Takes a lot of work to change commercial space into residential.
Easier to start from scratch, honestly. Those empty parking lots make it simple to put up medium density housing, and then put commercial spaces back into the mall. Aka the Reston Town Center model.
Clues from Trump’s time in office point to yes, actually. In a December 21, 2020, executive order, then-President Donald Trump praised Greek and Roman architecture for being designed to “beautify public spaces and inspire civic pride.” Similarly, classical-style buildings like the Lincoln Memorial, Capitol Building, Supreme Court, and White House, Trump remarked, “have become iconic symbols of our system of government.”
A construction magnate and property developer, and a cheapo, shitty one at that, thinks we need to spend more money on making buildings prettier.
Just like that wall, it's an excuse to spend a lot on construction and development that allows him to funnel money to his cronies.
Needs more e-girls.