Pastor Burns stood at the base of a 22-foot golden statue of President Donald Trump on Wednesday, leading a circle of clergy in prayer at the Trump National Doral in Miami. The monument, wrapped in shimmering gold leaf, was financed by a group of cryptocurrency investors to promote a meme coin called $PATRIOT. Despite the theatrical bowing and the divine rhetoric, Eric Trump previously posted on social media that the Trump Organization has no official association with the digital token. Burns described the ceremony as more than a ribbon-cutting, calling the statue a symbol of resilience and freedom.

The spectacle has drawn comparisons to religious iconography, though the organizers insist it is a tribute to the President’s will to fight. The $PATRIOT coin investors are capitalizing on the viral nature of the installation, which was placed prominently on the private golf course. This comes as Trump’s evangelical supporters continue to frame his leadership as a divinely appointed shield for the nation. The statue serves as a physical anchor for a digital currency, merging the world of high-stakes finance with a neoclassical aesthetic of power.

At the same time, anonymous artists have struck back against the administration’s aesthetic dominance. A group called the Secret Handshake Project installed arcade cabinets outside the D.C. War Memorial this week, featuring a game called Epic Furious that mocks the conflict with Iran. The artists, who previously placed a golden throne toilet on the National Mall, argue that the administration treats international war like a game. Between the golden monuments and the satirical arcades, Washington has become a playground where the currency is as synthetic as the statues.