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From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D. C., has replaced President Donald Trump’s portrait and removed text that mentioned his impeachments and involvement in the January 6, 2021 Capitol riots, according to a recent report from The Washington Post. The White House shared images of the new portrait earlier this week in a post on X. The original text accompanying it was taken down and substituted with a new placard that only states the president’s years in office, as reported by The Post. This update follows a complaint from a Trump administration official about the original text several months ago, according to The Post. The initial text, which The Post mentions was still accessible on Smithsonian’s website as of Saturday, outlined Trump’s journey to becoming president, highlights from his first term, his two impeachments and details about January 6th. It also pointed out that Trump lost the 2020 election to former President Joe Biden. open image in gallery President Donald Trump’s new portrait in the National Portrait Gallery (The White House/X) “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,” part of the original text reads. When asked about this adjustment, a spokesperson for National Portrait Gallery told The Post that they are considering using shorter “tombstone labels.” They also noted that changes have been made before regarding portraits in their exhibition. The Independent has reached out for further comment from them. Meanwhile, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle praised this new portrait but didn’t answer The Independent’s question about whether any request came from a Trump administration official regarding 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 stated..jpeg "National Portrait Gallery Changes Trump’s Portrait 1")
open image in gallery
President Donald Trump’s new portrait in the National Portrait Gallery (The White House/X)
A White House official said that Daniel Torok took this photo as part of their photography team at The White House and confirmed that museums can use photographs until an official painted portrait is finished.
This comes after last summer when Smithsonian removed then reinstated an exhibit discussing Trump’s impeachments. At that time museum officials stated they were “not asked by any administration or other government official to remove content from the exhibit” and described it as part of regular updates.
Trump has also aimed at putting his name on several institutions around Washington D. C., including Kennedy Center and U. S. Institute of Peace.
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