US Politics
Smithsonian removes reference to Trump’s impeachments after complaint, report says
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The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., has swapped out President Donald Trump’s portrait and removed accompanying text that referenced his impeachments and the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots, a new Washington Post report reveals.
The White House shared photos of the new portrait earlier this week in a post on X. The original text accompanying the portrait was removed and replaced by a new placard that only lists the president’s years in office, the Post reports.
The change comes after a Trump administration official complained about the accompanying text several months ago, according to the Post.
The original text, which the Post reports was still available on the Smithsonian’s website as of Saturday, described Trump’s path to the White House, the accomplishments of his first term, his two impeachments and the January 6 Capitol riots. The original text also noted that Trump lost the 2020 election to former President Joe Biden.
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“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,” the original text reads, in part.
When asked about the changes, a Smithsonian spokesperson told The Independent: “For some new exhibitions and displays, the museum has been exploring quotes or tombstone labels, which provide only general information, such as the artist’s name.”
“The history of Presidential impeachments continues to be represented in our museums, including the National Museum of American History. The previous label of the National Portrait Gallery’s portrait remains available on the museum’s website,” the spokesperson added
Meanwhile, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle praised the new portrait, but did not respond to The Independent’s question about whether a Trump administration official requested any of these changes.
“For the first time in history, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery has hung up an iconic photo taken by the White House honoring President Trump. His unmatched aura will be seen and felt throughout the halls of the National Portrait Gallery,” Ingle said.
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A White House official said the portrait was taken by White House photographer Daniel Torok, and that the museum can use photographs until an official portrait painting has been completed.
This comes after the Smithsonian removed, but later reinstated, an exhibit about Trump’s impeachments last summer. Museum officials said at the time they were “not asked by any administration or other government official to remove content from the exhibit” and described the change as part of a routine replacement.
Trump has also sought to put his name on a number of Washington, D.C., institutions, including the Kennedy Center and the U.S. Institute of Peace.