On a recent Saturday, the National Portrait Gallery, part of the Smithsonian Institution, unveiled a newly installed photographic portrait of former President Donald Trump. This new image, captured by White House photographer Daniel Torok, presents Trump in black and white, seated behind the Resolute desk, with his fists resting firmly upon it as he gazes directly into the camera lens.
This updated portrait supplants the earlier photograph of Trump, which had been positioned opposite the portrait of President Joe Biden within the museum's "America's Presidents" exhibit. Visitors entering the gallery previously encountered Biden's portrait, while those traversing the exhibit in reverse would observe presidential portraits arranged chronologically.
A notable alteration accompanying the new image involves the removal of substantial textual material linked to Trump’s presidency, specifically omitting mention of his two impeachments and the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Prior inscriptions adjacent to Trump's prior portrait explicitly cited the impeachment events, listing the charges of abuse of power and incitement of insurrection, along with the outcome of Senate acquittals in both instances.
According to a White House spokesperson, Davis Ingle, the installation of this updated photograph marks the first occasion in which the Smithsonian has displayed a White House–taken image honoring President Trump. Ingle emphasized the significance by asserting that Trump's "unmatched aura will be seen and felt throughout the halls of the National Portrait Gallery." Trump himself promoted the updated exhibit through his social media platform, Truth Social.
Previously, the portrait of Trump featured him with folded hands and was accompanied by two small wooden plaques denoting "45" and "47," referencing his two nonconsecutive terms as president. The recent changes include replacing that photograph with the current one and substantially reducing the related explanatory material.
This reevaluation and modification of content at the National Portrait Gallery are linked to a broader directive initiated last August, when former President Trump directed Smithsonian officials to review all exhibits preceding the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4. The review aims to ensure that displays reflect the administration's intent to celebrate American exceptionalism, eliminate divisive or partisan narratives, and rebuild public confidence in shared cultural institutions.
Moreover, in March of the preceding year, Trump issued an executive order instructing the removal of what was described as "ideological indoctrination or divisive narratives that distort our shared history" from Smithsonian museums, national parks, monuments, and memorial sites. These policy actions provide context for the recent adjustments at the National Portrait Gallery.
Visitors engaging with the updated "America's Presidents" exhibit will now encounter the revised photographic representation of former President Trump, presented with a minimal text accompaniment devoid of the previous detailed references to his impeachments and controversial events during his presidency. This shift illustrates the evolving approach to curating presidential history within national cultural venues as they prepare for broader commemorative milestones.