Smithsonian Swaps Trump’s Portrait and Changes Caption Following Pressure From Administration

Official White House photographer Daniel Torok’s portrait of Donald Trump with his fists on the Oval Office’s Resolute Desk is now hanging in the National Portrait Gallery along with an altered caption below.

In June, Trump attempted to fire National Portrait Gallery director Kim Sajet, describing her as a “highly partisan person and a strong supporter of DEI.”

A White House official provided a list of grievances against Sajet, which specifically mentioned the caption under Trump’s portrait, part of an exhibition called The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden. The passage mentioned the president’s two impeachments during his first term as well as the January 6 riots.

“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 former caption read.

The new placard has been replaced by a so-called tombstone label, which lists just very basic information. It contrasts with other portraits of presidents in the exhibition, which have much longer texts.

Sajet resigned days after Trump tried to fire her, but until now, the photo, which was taken by Washington Post photojournalist Matt McClain, remained in place along with the caption.

Over the weekend, the White House tweeted out a photo of the new Trump portrait at the National Portrait Gallery. Torok called his photo hanging in the museum “amazing.”

A spokeswoman for the National Portrait Gallery, Concetta Duncan, tells the Washington Post that the museum is “exploring” less descriptive “tombstone labels” for some new exhibits and displays, while noting that Trump’s portrait in the popular exhibition has changed before.

The Smithsonian exhibit portrait is not the first image of Trump that he has complained about. <em>The Guardian notes that the Colorado state capitol changed its painting of the president after he described it as “purposefully distorted” and “truly the worst.”

Trump has also altered the portraits of other presidents, including hanging a photo of an autopen to represent Joe Biden in the newly designed presidential portrait gallery in the West Wing Colonnade.