In Washington, an intriguing transformation has taken place in the White House as President Donald Trump has turned a West Wing walkway into what he describes as the Presidential Walk of Fame. This initiative now features plaques with distinctly partisan and subjective messages, showcasing Trump’s influence on the White House’s décor and his ongoing effort to shape historical narratives to his preference.
The plaques, which include references to “Sleepy Joe” Biden and portrayals of Republican icon Ronald Reagan as an admirer of a younger Trump, are characterized by their bold, Trump-style language. This installation is part of Trump’s broader strategy to imprint his image on the White House, following other changes like redecorating the Oval Office and planning the demolition of the East Wing to make way for an expansive ballroom.
An introductory plaque informs visitors that the Presidential Walk of Fame was “conceived, built, and dedicated by President Donald J. Trump as a tribute to past Presidents, good, bad, and somewhere in the middle.”
Among the plaques, one concerning President Joe Biden repeats the unfounded claim that the 46th president, a Democrat, assumed office due to “the most corrupt election ever.” This contradicts the fact that Biden secured victory over Trump in the 2020 election, winning both the popular vote and the Electoral College. The plaque further labels Biden as “by far, the worst president in American history.”
Former President Barack Obama, the nation’s first Black president and Trump’s predecessor, is described as “one of the most divisive political figures in American history” on his plaque.
Regarding former President George W. Bush, his plaque seems to acknowledge positively his establishment of the Department of Homeland Security but criticizes his involvement in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, stating that “both of which should not have happened.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the texts are “eloquently written descriptions of each president” and that “many were written directly by the President himself.”
Biden had no comment on his plaque. There were no immediate responses to emails sent to aides for Obama and several other former presidents.
Trump, in September, refashioned the colonnade that runs from the West Wing to the White House residence with gilded portraits of all former presidents, except for Biden. Trump instead chose an autopen, reflecting his mockery of Biden’s age and assertions that Biden was not up to the job.
The display runs on the wall of the colonnade between the White House residence and the president’s usual entrance to the Oval Office, meaning Trump can take any of his preferred guests – foreign dignitaries included – on a tour of the exhibit with his framing of his predecessors.
The introductory plaque also presumes that Trump’s addition will stay intact once he is no longer president: “The Presidential Walk of Fame will long live as a testament and tribute to the Greatness of America.”
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