Trump Demands Massive George Washington Statue at Smithsonian
President Donald Trump urged the Smithsonian Institution to install a massive George Washington statue and launch a legacy exhibition, criticizing the museum's historical narratives.
Trump Demands Monumental Washington Statue at Smithsonian
President Donald Trump has called on the Smithsonian Institution to honor George Washington with a massive 30-foot statue outside the National Museum of American History, alongside a five-year exhibition on the first president's legacy. In a post on Truth Social, Trump criticized the museum for failing to properly celebrate the Founding Fathers ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary.
In the 250th year of our nation, the museum has failed to give George Washington and the other Founding Fathers the celebration they deserve, Trump wrote.
The proposed monument would replace "Infinity," a 1967 abstract stainless steel sculpture by José de Rivera. Trump dismissed the modernist artwork as uninspiring and disconnected from American heritage. He also requested a smaller 11-foot Washington statue inside the museum's flag hall in time for Constitution Day on September 17.
Push for Patriotic History and Classical Architecture
These demands reflect Trump's long-standing push for patriotic history and classical architecture across Washington, following an executive order in March 2025 accusing the institution of ideological bias. Tensions peaked when Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III resigned following mounting pressure from the White House.
The administration's focus on honoring the founders has also affected federal historical sites. Earlier this year, interpretive signs at the President's House site in Philadelphia discussing Washington's slave-holding history were replaced with toned-down versions that omit references to his fugitive slaves.
