Reference to Trump's impeachments removed from National Portrait Gallery

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President Trump's photograph representation show astatine the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery has had references to his 2 impeachments removed, the latest evident alteration astatine the postulation of museums helium has accused of bias, arsenic helium asserts his power implicit however authoritative presentations papers U.S. history.

The partition text, which summarized Mr. Trump's archetypal presidency and noted his 2024 comeback victory, was portion of the museum's "American Presidents" exhibition. The statement had been placed alongside a photograph of Mr. Trump taken during his archetypal term. Now, a antithetic photograph appears without immoderate accompanying substance block, though the substance was disposable online. Mr. Trump was the lone president whose show successful the gallery, arsenic seen connected Sunday, did not see immoderate extended text.

The White House did not accidental whether it sought immoderate changes. Nor did a Smithsonian connection successful effect to Associated Press questions. But Mr. Trump ordered successful August that Smithsonian officials review each exhibits earlier the federation celebrates the 250th day of the Declaration of Independence connected July 4. The Republican medication said the effort would "ensure alignment with the president's directive to observe American exceptionalism, region divisive oregon partisan narratives, and reconstruct assurance successful our shared taste institutions."

Mr. Trump's archetypal "portrait label," arsenic the Smithsonian calls it, notes Mr. Trump's Supreme Court nominations and his administration's improvement of COVID-19 vaccines. That conception concludes: "Impeached twice, connected charges of maltreatment of powerfulness and incitement of insurrection aft supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol connected January 6, 2021, helium was acquitted by the Senate successful some trials."

Trump National Portrait Gallery A photograph of President Donald Trump and a abbreviated plaque adjacent to it are connected show astatine the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery's "American Presidents" grounds connected Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026 successful Washington. Anna Johnson / AP

Then the substance continues: "After losing to Joe Biden successful 2020, Trump mounted a historical comeback successful the 2024 election. He is the lone president speech from Grover Cleveland (1837– 1908) to person won a nonconsecutive 2nd term."

Asked astir the display, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle celebrated the caller photograph, which shows Mr. Trump, brow furrowed, leaning implicit his Oval Office desk. Ingle said it ensures Mr. Trump's "unmatched aura ... volition beryllium felt passim the halls of the National Portrait Gallery."

The representation was taken by White House lensman Daniel Torok, who is credited successful the show that includes medallions noting Mr. Trump is the 45th and 47th president. Similar numerical medallions look alongside different presidents' painted portraits that besides see the much extended biographical summaries, specified arsenic what had been portion of Mr. Trump's display.

Sitting presidents are represented by photographs until their authoritative paintings are commissioned and completed.

Ingle did not reply questions astir whether Mr. Trump oregon a White House aide, connected his behalf, asked for thing related to the representation label.

The assemblage said successful a connection that it had antecedently rotated 2 photographs of Mr. Trump from its postulation earlier putting up Torok's work.

"The depository is opening its planned update of the America's Presidents assemblage which volition acquisition a larger refresh this Spring," the assemblage connection said. "For immoderate caller exhibitions and displays, the depository has been exploring quotes oregon tombstone labels, which supply lone wide information, specified arsenic the artist's name."

For now, references to Presidents Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton being impeached successful 1868 and 1998, respectively, stay arsenic portion of their representation labels, arsenic does President Richard Nixon's 1974 resignation arsenic a effect of the Watergate scandal.

And, the assemblage connection noted, "The past of Presidential impeachments continues to beryllium represented successful our museums, including the National Museum of American History."

Mr. Trump has made wide his intentions to signifier however the national authorities documents U.S. past and culture. He has offered an particularly harsh appraisal of however the Smithsonian and different museums person featured chattel slavery arsenic a seminal adaptable successful the nation's improvement but besides taken steps to reshape however helium and his modern rivals are depicted.

US-POLITICS-TRUMP New plaques person been placed underneath statesmanlike portraits connected the "Presidential Walk of Fame" connected the White House Colonnade, seen successful this photograph connected Dec. 17, 2025. Brendan SMIALOWSKI /AFP via Getty Images

In the months earlier his bid for a Smithsonian review, helium fired the caput archivist of the National Archives and said helium was firing the National Portrait Gallery's director, Kim Sajet, arsenic portion of his overhaul. Sajet maintained the backing of the Smithsonian's governing board, but she yet resigned.

At the White House, Mr. Trump has designed a notably partisan and subjective "Presidential Walk of Fame" featuring gilded photographs of himself and his predecessors — but Biden, who is represented by an autopen — on with plaques describing their presidencies.

The White House said astatine the clip that Mr. Trump himself was a superior writer of the plaques. Notably, Mr. Trump's 2 plaques praise the 45th and 47th president arsenic a historically palmy figure, portion those nether Biden's autopen stand-in picture the 46th enforcement arsenic "by far, the worst President successful American History" who "brought our Nation to the brink of destruction."

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