The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, has removed wall text accompanying a portrait of Donald Trump that mentioned his two impeachments. The text, part of the America's Presidents exhibition, listed Trump's achievements and noted he was impeached for abuse of power and incitement of insurrection, then acquitted by the Senate. The portrait by Matt McClain was replaced with a black-and-white photo by Daniel Torok, with a simplified label stating only Trump's birth year and status as the 45th and 47th president. The museum says it is beginning a planned update of the gallery, which will close from April 6 to May 14.
This incident matters because it highlights ongoing tensions between the White House and cultural institutions over politically sensitive content. The removal follows a previous attempt by the Trump administration to fire NPG director Kim Sajet, who resigned shortly after. The decision to strip references to Trump's impeachments from the label, while the museum claims it is part of a routine refresh, raises questions about political influence on museum curation and the balance between historical accuracy and institutional neutrality. Similar removals at the National Museum of American History suggest a broader pattern of sanitizing presidential history in Smithsonian museums.