This week, the National Portrait Gallery removed key historical details from the caption beneath Trump’s presidential portrait. The text that once mentioned his two impeachments and the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol is no longer there. What remains is a short and sanitized label that lists only his years in office.
The change came alongside a new image of Trump now hanging in the “America’s Presidents” exhibition. The old photo showed him standing with his hands folded and was paired with a longer caption explaining major moments from his presidency. That image has been replaced with a black and white photograph showing Trump leaning forward at the Resolute Desk, fists clenched, staring directly at the camera.
The image was shared publicly, and the White House followed by posting it as well, without mentioning what had been removed from the wall beside it.
The previous caption clearly stated that Trump was “Impeached twice, on charges of abuse of power and incitement of insurrection after supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, he was acquitted by the Senate in both trials.” Those words were factual. They were part of the historical record. Now they are gone from public view.
The Smithsonian said the museum is “exploring” shorter labels for some exhibits. A spokeswoman described them as less descriptive “tombstone labels.” Yet Trump’s display now looks noticeably different from those of other presidents nearby. Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Joe Biden all still have captions that describe defining events from their time in office. Clinton’s label still mentions his impeachment.
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Trump’s does not.
This shift did not happen without pressure. Months earlier, a Trump official complained about the original caption. Around the same time, Trump attacked the gallery’s director, calling her “highly partisan.” She later resigned. The White House also threatened to withhold Smithsonian funding if the institution did not cooperate with a review of museum content for what it called “improper ideology.”
Soon after, the caption disappeared.
This is not an isolated case. Trump and his allies have been steadily pushing to reshape public spaces in his image. His name was added to the Kennedy Center. Plaques praising Trump and criticizing rivals have appeared inside the White House. Last year, Colorado replaced a portrait of Trump after he complained about it.
The pattern is clear.
A former Smithsonian historian warned that the National Portrait Gallery has always used wall text to explain who presidents were and what defined their careers. Removing that context does not make history more neutral. It makes it incomplete.
The old caption also mentioned Trump’s Supreme Court appointments, his loss to Joe Biden in 2020, and his role in vaccine development. Those details have vanished along with the impeachments and the Capitol attack.
Featured image via X screengrab
