Recent changes at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery have sparked attention as references to Donald Trump’s impeachments and the January 6 Capitol incident have been omitted from his display. The gallery’s ‘America’s Presidents’ exhibit now features a fresh portrait of Trump, presented with a notably concise description.

This new portrayal, captured by White House photographer Daniel Torok, was unveiled over the weekend. It depicts Trump standing authoritatively behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, a classic symbol of presidential power.

Accompanying the portrait are two medallions, succinctly noting Trump’s tenure as the 45th and 47th president of the United States. The display is markedly more streamlined compared to previous exhibits, which included detailed accounts of his first term in office.

Previously, the gallery showcased two other Trump portraits, each accompanied by extensive narratives covering his presidency. This shift to a minimalist approach has stirred discussions about the portrayal of historical figures and the narratives museums choose to emphasize.

Alongside it, two medallions tell visitors that Trump served as the 45th and now 47th president, and that’s it. 

Two other Trump portraits that had been displayed at the Portrait Gallery included longer, comprehensive write-ups about the president’s first term. 

Those include a 2019 photograph for Time Magazine, captured by Pari Dukovic, with Trump also positioned at the Resolute Desk, which was displayed during President Joe Biden’s administration. 

More recently, the museum had on display a portrait captured by Washington Post photographer Matt McClain. 

A White House spokesperson touted President Donald Trump’s ‘unmatched aura’ in a new portrait on display at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. Missing, however, is more descriptive text that previously referenced Trump’s two impeachments and January 6

A longer description of President Donald Trump’s tenure was on display at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in 2021, when the Trump portrait was a photograph taken in 2019 for Time Magazine 

In both cases, the museum’s display included biographical information about the president – including some wins. 

It mentioned the creation of the MAGA movement, Trump’s appointment of a trio of Supreme Court justices, the signing of the Abraham Accords, the development of the COVID-19 vaccines and the pair of impeachment votes.

‘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,’ the description, which can still be found online, also read. 

It also noted that Trump mounted a ‘historic comeback’ in the 2024 election, becoming the second politician after President Grover Cleveland to win non-consecutive White House terms.

The White House would not disclose to the Associated Press whether there had been pressure from Trump to remove the more descriptive language from the ‘America’s Presidents’ display.

White House spokesperson Davis Ingle noted that Trump’s ‘unmatched aura … will be felt throughout the halls of the National Portrait Gallery.’ 

Ingle did not immediately respond to the Daily Mail’s follow-up questions on whether the White House objected to the language that had previously surrounded Trump’s portrait and if moves were taken to scrub it.

In August, the Secretary of the Smithsonian, Lonnie Bunch III, was informed by the White House that all museum exhibits would be reviewed ahead of the U.S.’s 250th birthday. 

A portrait of President Donald Trump, a photograph by the Washington Post’s Matt McClain, that was on display in June 2025, also contained a longer description of the 45th and 47th president’s tenure

The White House promoted the hanging of a new Trump portrait over the weekend at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. The new display shows medallions hanging alongside the portrait but no descriptive language about President Donald Trump 

Festivities for the semiquincentennial have already kicked off this year – and will culminate around the July 4 holiday. 

The review, Bunch was informed in a letter from the White House, ‘aims to ensure alignment with the President’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions.’ 

Trump has taken great pains to rewrite the history surrounding the January 6 Capitol attack, which led to his second impeachment and a federal indictment.

Early in his second term, he pardoned all the rioters. 

Last week, on the attack’s fifth anniversary, the White House published a website trying to change the narrative about the attack.

The January 6, 2021, Capitol attack left hundreds of law enforcement officers injured at the hands of the president’s supporters, who attacked the Capitol Building to stop the counting of Electoral College votes to certify President Joe Biden’s election. 

The attack came after Trump fed to his supporters in a rally the ‘big lie,’ that widespread voter fraud in 2020 cost him reelection.