Donald Trump Calls for Smithsonian to Install George Washington Statue and Exhibit
Former President Trump demands changes to the National Museum of American History, including a new 'Center for American Heroes'
Quick Look
President Donald Trump has publicly demanded that the Smithsonian install a large George Washington statue and a special exhibit at the National Museum of American History, while criticizing the institution's current focus on restorative history.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The Smithsonian operates independently of the executive branch, overseen by a Board of Regents. Trump has previously issued executive orders targeting funding for programs he deems to promote improper ideology.
In late Friday night social media posts, President Donald Trump called on the Smithsonian to install a colossal statue of George Washington outside the National Museum of American History and a special exhibit honoring the nation's first president.
Trump asked for an exhibit beginning now and continuing through Feb. 22, 2032, the 300th anniversary of Washington’s birth. For Constitution Day on Sept. 17, Trump asked the institution to install the 11-foot statue of Washington featured at the recent Freedom 250 IndyCar race in the museum's Flag Hall.
He also wanted a 30-foot statue of Washington to replace the current “Infinity” sculpture by New York artist Jose de Rivera, commissioned by the federal government and installed in 1967.
“He is easily America’s Greatest Hero. Without him, our Country and our Freedoms wouldn’t exist,” Trump typed on Truth Social as he flew to his golf course in Ireland.
He complained that the museum currently doesn't mention Washington's fabled crossing of the Delaware River during the Revolutionary War.
Instead of a Center for Restorative History — a recently ended museum initiative to spotlight spotlights stories that have been excluded from the national historical narrative — Trump said the museum should have a “Center for American Heroes.”
It’s not clear that Trump has the power to order the museum to make the change. The Smithsonian operates outside the executive branch and its leadership is overseen by a Board of Regents that includes Vice President JD Vance, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, a bipartisan group of lawmakers and a group of citizens.
Trump in March revealed his intention to force changes at the Smithsonian Institution with an executive order that targeted funding for programs that advanced “divisive narratives” and “improper ideology.”
The White House published a lengthy report this year that repeatedly complained the institution had not done enough to highlight Washington and other founders.
In July, he ordered his administration to install signs in front of the U.S. history museum telling visitors that some of the exhibits are inaccurate, part of his initiatives to reshape how the story of the United States is told.
Its top leader, Lonnie Bunch, announced this week he was stepping down at the end of the year.
Open Questions
- Does the President have legal authority to direct Smithsonian exhibits?
- How will the Board of Regents respond to these demands?
