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Smithsonian Restores Impeachment References in Trump Portrait Label

cultural-heritage · 2026-05-16

The language regarding Donald Trump's impeachments has been restored in the wall text accompanying his portrait at the National Portrait Gallery, as announced by the Smithsonian Institution. This revised exhibition, revealed on Friday, now features the impeachments as part of a list of significant events from Trump's first term, which also includes the Abraham Accords, Operation Warp Speed, the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack, and the 2020 George Floyd protests. Previously, the text had been removed following Trump's criticism, who sought more influence over the Smithsonian. Initially, the institution stated that the removal was part of a larger overhaul of the exhibition. The updated label now presents the impeachments in a bulleted format and incorporates a segment from Trump's farewell address in 2021.

Key facts

  • Smithsonian reinstated impeachment mentions in Trump portrait label
  • Updated exhibition unveiled on Friday
  • Impeachments listed alongside Abraham Accords, Operation Warp Speed, Jan. 6 attack, George Floyd protests
  • Original label removed months ago after Trump criticism
  • Original label: 'Impeached twice... acquitted by the Senate in both trials'
  • White House complained about original wording
  • New label includes excerpt from Trump's 2021 farewell speech
  • Smithsonian said removal was part of exhibition revamp

Entities

Institutions

  • Smithsonian Institution
  • National Portrait Gallery
  • White House
  • U.S. Senate

Locations

  • Washington, D.C.
  • United States

Sources