Smithsonian swaps Trump portrait and drops impeachment references amid dispute

What happened

The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery has swapped the photograph of President Donald J. Trump in its "America's Presidents" exhibition and removed the longer wall label that referenced his two impeachments and the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Reporters saw the new photograph and a short plaque on display on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026.

The image on display is a black-and-white photograph credited to White House photographer Daniel Torok.

The new placard beside that image gives only basic information — his birth year and that he is the 45th and 47th president — rather than the fuller biographical summary that previously appeared.

A Smithsonian spokesperson told reporters the change is part of a planned update of the America's Presidents gallery, and that for some displays the museum has been experimenting with shorter, "tombstone" labels.

The prior wall text, which the museum still hosts online, described his Supreme Court nominations, the administration's role in COVID-19 vaccine development and noted he had been impeached twice "on charges of abuse of power and incitement of insurrection" before being acquitted.

Timeline and provenance

The gallery said it had rotated two different photographs of Mr. Trump from its collection before installing Torok's image, and it noted that sitting presidents are displayed as photographs until their official portrait paintings are completed; the White House also posted images of the updated display on social media.

Conflicting explanations

Accounts differ over why the label was changed. The Washington Post reported that a Trump administration official had complained about the earlier caption that mentioned his impeachments and the U.S. Capitol insurrection. The gallery and museum spokespeople, by contrast, say the swap is part of a routine gallery refresh and curatorial practice.

Reactions and framing

Reactions split: the White House celebrated the new image while the Smithsonian stressed curatorial discretion, and some outlets read the swap as part of a broader effort to soften or reframe critical language about Mr. Trump.

"For the first time in history, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery has hung up an iconic photo taken by the White House honoring President Trump. His unmatched aura will be seen and felt throughout the halls of the National Portrait Gallery."

The National Portrait Gallery also emphasized that the history of presidential impeachments remains represented elsewhere in the Smithsonian: labels for other presidents still reference Andrew Johnson's and Bill Clinton's impeachments and Richard Nixon's resignation is recorded in that gallery's labels.

Context and earlier pressures

The swap comes against a backdrop of increased White House scrutiny of cultural institutions: President Trump issued orders and reviews of Smithsonian exhibits, the White House compiled grievances about the Portrait Gallery's leadership, and the gallery's former director, Kim Sajet, resigned after pressure.

State of play

The museum has confirmed that a Torok photograph is on display and said it is beginning a planned refresh of the America's Presidents gallery that will include shorter labels; The Washington Post and some other outlets say a Trump administration official complained about the earlier caption, an allegation the White House has not explicitly confirmed.