The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery has replaced its portrait of Donald Trump and altered the accompanying text, a change that occurred on Thursday following a concern raised by a representative of the former president.
A New Portrait, A Revised Narrative
The gallery’s shift in imagery and description has sparked debate about historical representation and political influence within cultural institutions.
- Previously, the display featured Trump in a suit with a description of his presidency, including his appointments to the Supreme Court and a reference to a “historic comeback in the 2024 election.”
- The original text also detailed Trump’s two impeachments, citing “abuse of power and incitement of insurrection” related to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
- The new portrait depicts Trump scowling in the Oval Office, and the accompanying text now simply identifies him as the 45th and 47th president, stating his year of birth as 1946.
- The change followed a list of grievances compiled by the White House regarding the former director of the National Portrait Gallery, Kim Sajet.
- The Smithsonian maintains that the update was part of a planned revision to the “America’s Presidents” exhibition.
The gallery had previously exhibited a photograph of Trump in a suit and red tie against a black backdrop, accompanied by text outlining key moments of his presidency. This included his appointment of three Supreme Court justices and a claim of a “historic comeback in the 2024 election.” However, the display also acknowledged the controversies of his time in office, specifically mentioning his two impeachments.
The former president was impeached twice by the House of Representatives—once on charges of abuse of power and again on charges of inciting an insurrection following the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. He was acquitted by the Senate in both trials. The White House reportedly objected to this inclusion in the museum’s description.
The new image, a black-and-white photograph taken by White House photographer Daniel Torok, shows Trump scowling as he leans over the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, his fists planted firmly on its surface. Trump originally posted the image on Truth Social in October, captioning it: “In the Oval Office, getting ready to leave our imprint on the World. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
What is the extent of the changes made to the portrait’s display? The accompanying text has been significantly simplified, now identifying Trump solely as the 45th and 47th president and noting his birth year as 1946. The previous details regarding his accomplishments and impeachments have been removed.
A White House spokesperson, Davis Ingle, stated on Saturday that the new portrait is an “iconic photo” possessing an “unmatched aura.”
The National Portrait Gallery has characterized the change as part of a planned update to the “America’s Presidents” exhibition. According to a statement from the Smithsonian, the museum has been exploring the use of “quotes or tombstone labels” – providing only basic information like the artist’s name – for some new displays. The Smithsonian also affirmed that “the history of presidential impeachments continues to be represented in our museums.”
Notably, the wall text accompanying the portrait of Bill Clinton still references his impeachment for “lying while under oath about a sexual relationship he had with a White House intern.”
The portrait change occurred after Trump announced his intention last year to remove Kim Sajet, the former National Portrait Gallery director. The White House had compiled a list of grievances against Sajet, alleging partisanship and bias. A copy of this list, reviewed by the New York Times, specifically cited the impeachment sentence in Trump’s portrait text.
While the Smithsonian, operating independently from the executive branch, did not formally fire Sajet, she resigned amidst the pressure, stating it was in the best interest of the institution. Elliot Gruber is currently serving as the museum’s acting director.
The changes also align with the Trump administration’s broader efforts to influence the presentation of American history within the Smithsonian Institution. In March, Trump issued an executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” directing government officials to investigate the museum for “improper ideology.”
As part of this initiative, the White House has requested a substantial number of documents from the museum to review current and planned exhibitions. The Smithsonian has only partially complied, and now faces a Tuesday deadline to submit the remaining documents or risk a potential $1 billion budget cut, a significant portion of which relies on federal funding.
Similar adjustments were made in August at the National Museum of American History, where language regarding Trump’s impeachments in an exhibit about the American presidency was altered. The description of “incitement of insurrection” was modified, and two related sentences were removed. The phrase “alleged” was added to a sentence concerning the investigation into potential foreign interference in the 2020 election.
