National Portrait Gallery removes impeachment references next to Trump photo

The wall text next to a new portrait of President Trump on display in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., no longer mentions his two impeachments and also removes information about his presidency.

A spokesperson for the Smithsonian said in a statement to NPR on Sunday that the National Portrait Gallery had begun a planned update of its “America’s Presidents” gallery, which will include new labels and wall text.

“For some new exhibitions and displays, the museum has been exploring quotes or tombstone labels, which provide only general information, such as the artist’s name,” the spokesperson said.

The previous portrait label, which is still available on the Smithsonian’s website, mentioned Trump’s Supreme Court nominations, the development of the COVID-19 vaccine and that he was impeached twice “on charges of abuse of power and incitement of insurrection” before being acquitted by the Senate in both cases.

Text accompanying the new portrait identifies Trump’s birth year, that he is the 45th and 47th president, the dates of his presidency, and information about the photographer and photograph.

The Smithsonian said other Smithsonian museums such as the National Museum of American History contain information about the history of U.S. presidential impeachments.

News of the omission comes at a tense time for the Smithsonian Institution. In March, Trump signed an executive order aiming to eliminate “divisive 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 tried 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 later resigned.

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

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

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

Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives twice during his first term. The 2019 impeachment related to Trump’s request that Ukraine investigate the Biden family ahead of the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Trump was impeached again in 2021 for inciting an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol after his electoral 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 entitled “The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden.”