National Portrait Gallery removes impeachment references next to Trump photo : NPR

A photograph of President Trump and a small plaque next to it are on display Sunday at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery’s “American Presidents” exhibit.

Rod Lamkey/AP

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Rod Lamkey/AP

Wall text next to a new portrait of President Trump on display at 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 has begun a planned update to its “America’s Presidents” gallery, which will include new labels and wall text.

“For some new exhibits and presentations, the museum has explored quotes or tombstone labels, which only provide general information, such as the name of the artist,” the spokesperson said.

The previous profile, still available on the Smithsonian website, noted Trump’s Supreme Court appointments, the development of the COVID-19 vaccine and the fact that he was twice impeached “for abuse of power and incitement of insurrection” before being acquitted by the Senate on both occasions.

Text accompanying the new portrait identifies Trump’s year of birth, that he 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 on the history of American presidential impeachments.

News of this omission comes at a tense time for the Smithsonian Institution. In March, Trump signed an executive order aimed at eliminating “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 highly partisan person and a strong supporter of DEI,” and Sajet subsequently resigned.

The Smithsonian said Sunday that it had already rotated two photographs of Trump before displaying the new one, taken by White House photographer Daniel Torok.

The White House did not immediately respond to NPR’s request for comment Sunday.

But White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement to The New York Times that the new Trump portrait was an “iconic photo” of the president and that “his unparalleled aura will be seen and felt in the halls of the National Portrait Gallery.”

Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives twice during his first term. The 2019 indictment was related to Trump’s demand that Ukraine investigate the Biden family ahead of the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Trump was impeached again in 2021 for inciting insurrection at the U.S. 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.”