Trump inauguration lunch features controversial Bingham painting

For the inaugural lunch of January 20, 2017, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies selected George Caleb Bingham's 1855 painting The Verdict of the People for display behind the presidential table at the National Statuary Hall in the US Capitol. The work, on loan from the Saint Louis Art Museum, has sparked criticism for its perceived racist undertones, depicting a white-dominated America with slavery still present, and for its title suggesting a popular verdict when Hillary Clinton won the popular vote. A petition with nearly 5,000 signatures has been launched against the museum. Saint Louis Art Museum director Brent Benjamin defended the loan, stating the museum does not take positions on political candidates.