Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Portrait Gallery Swaps In New Trump Photo, Removes Impeachment and Jan. 6 Text

The museum says the shorter label is part of a planned refresh experimenting with concise “tombstone” text.

Overview

  • The National Portrait Gallery installed a black-and-white Oval Office photograph by White House photographer Daniel Torok with a brief label listing Donald Trump’s presidency, replacing a longer text panel.
  • The previous display, paired with a Matt McClain photo, noted Trump’s two impeachments and the Jan. 6, 2021 attack, along with other biographical details; that text remains available online.
  • A Smithsonian spokesperson said the change begins a planned update to the America’s Presidents gallery, with a larger refresh coming this spring, and that impeachment history continues to be presented elsewhere in the museums.
  • The White House promoted the new portrait and praised it as “iconic,” while neither the administration nor the Smithsonian confirmed any formal request to alter the label.
  • The streamlined Trump label contrasts with other presidents’ displays, including Bill Clinton’s, which still include descriptive context such as impeachment.