References to President Trump’s two impeachments have disappeared from the text describing his first term underneath his portrait in the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian.
His original portrait, a 2017 color shot by Matt McClain of The Washington Post showing a somber Trump with hands folded, a red tie vibrant against a black suit jacket blending into an even darker background, was replaced last week with a black-and-white glowering Trump, his clenched fists jammed into the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office as he glares straight into the lens. The second portrait was taken by White House photographer Daniel Torok in October 2025 and posted by Trump on his Truth Social platform.
Now, instead of a description of Trump’s first tenure capped by mention of his 2024 comeback, there is blank space, unless one counts the outlines of the sign that adorned the spot until recently and a placard denoting his years in office, as The Washington Post first reported. In contrast, the nearby portraits of presidents from Joe Biden to Bill Clinton are all accompanied by descriptions of their years in office, including Clinton’s 1998 impeachment. President Andrew Johnson’s 1868 impeachment and Richard Nixon’s 1974 resignation are also intact.
“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,” Trump’s original portrait text reads. It also notes highlights, such as his historic comeback with a nonconsecutive second-term win, a feat matched only by Grover Cleveland in 1892, the nation’s 22nd and 24th president.
In late May 2025, Trump went after the portrait gallery with a thwarted attempt to fire National Portrait Gallery director Kim Sajet, who ultimately resigned. In August 2025 Trump ordered a review of Smithsonian museums and exhibitions to ensure they reflect “American exceptionalism” and “alignment with American ideals” rather than depict events as they happened, which his administration apparently construes as bias.
A Trump impeachment reference was then removed “temporarily” from the “Limits of Presidential Power” section of Smithsonian’s American presidency exhibit. Smithsonian spokespeople insisted the administration had not pressured them to do it and that it would be restored.
Underneath The White House’s tweet of the new portrait gallery photo, the memes came fast and furious: the desk replaced by a walker; Trump replaced by Kevin Spacey as “House of Cards” villain Frank Underwood; and even, “off script,” Trump at a podium back in 2015, flailing his decidedly irresolute, curled-up hands in apparent mockery of a reporter with a disability.
With News Wire Services
