A photograph of President Trump and a small plaque next to it go on display Sunday in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery’s “American Presidents” exhibit.
Rod Lamkey/AP
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Rod Lamkey/AP
Text on the wall next to a new portrait of President Trump displayed in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., no longer mentions his two impeachments and also removes information about his presidency.
A Smithsonian spokesperson said in a statement to NPR on Sunday that the National Portrait Gallery had begun a planned update to its “American Presidents” gallery, which will include new wall labels and text.
“For some new exhibitions and exhibits, the museum has been exploring citations or tombstone labels, which provide only general information, such as the artist’s name,” the spokesperson said.
The label on the previous portrait, which is still available on the Smithsonian’s website, mentioned Trump’s Supreme Court nominations, the development of the COVID-19 vaccine and that he was twice charged “with abuse of power and incitement of insurrection” before being acquitted by the Senate in both cases.
Text accompanying the new portrait identifies the year of birth of Trump, who is the 45th and 47th president, the dates of his presidency and information about the photographer and the photograph.
The Smithsonian said other Smithsonian museums, such as the National Museum of American History, contain information about the history of American presidential impeachments.
News of the omission comes at a tense time for the Smithsonian Institution. In March, Trump signed an executive order aimed at removing “divisive, race-centered ideology” from Smithsonian museums and other cultural institutions, and over the summer the White House ordered a “comprehensive internal review” of eight Smithsonian museums, including the National Portrait Gallery.
Trump attempted to fire former National Portrait Gallery director Kim Sajet in May, whom he called “a very partisan person and a strong supporter of DEI,” and Sajet later resigned.
The Smithsonian said Sunday that it had previously rotated two photos of Trump before displaying the new one, which was taken by White House photographer Daniel Torok.
The White House did not immediately respond to NPR’s request for comment on Sunday.
But White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement to The New York Times that Trump’s new portrait was an “iconic photo” of the president and that “his unmatched aura will be seen and felt in the halls of the National Portrait Gallery.”
Trump was impeached twice by the House of Representatives during his first term. The 2019 impeachment trial was related to Trump’s request that Ukraine investigate the Biden family before the 2020 US presidential election. Trump was impeached again in 2021 for inciting an insurrection at the US Capitol following his election loss to Joe Biden. He was acquitted in both Senate trials.
In July, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History also removed references to Trump’s two impeachments from an exhibit titled “The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden.”