Smithsonian removes impeachment mention as it replaces Trump's portrait

The National Portrait Gallery swapped a longer label that referenced President Trump's two impeachments and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack for a much shorter caption and replaced the displayed photograph with a black-and-white image by White House photographer Daniel Torok.

The National Portrait Gallery recently replaced a longer wall caption that mentioned President Donald Trump's two impeachments and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack with a much shorter label and swapped the on‑wall photograph for a black‑and‑white image by White House photographer Daniel Torok. The new caption reportedly lists only Trump's years in office, and the shorter label appears beside portraits of other presidents that retain longer explanatory text. The change follows months of tension between the gallery and the White House, including a prior complaint about the original caption and the resignation of former gallery director Kim Sajet. The gallery said it has rotated images of Trump in the past and that it is "exploring" the use of briefer "tombstone labels" for some displays. Key facts: - The displayed photograph was changed to a framed black‑and‑white image by White House photographer Daniel Torok. - The previous placard referenced Trump's two impeachments and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack; the new wall label is much shorter and reportedly notes only years in office. - A Trump official had complained about the earlier caption months earlier, during disputes that preceded the portrait gallery director's resignation. - The National Portrait Gallery said it has rotated photos of Trump before and is considering shorter "tombstone" labels for some exhibits. - Neither the Smithsonian nor the White House directly responded when asked whether the administration requested the changes. - The gallery posted that the "America's Presidents" exhibition will temporarily close for updates from April 6 to May 14 and did not specify whether other presidential labels will be altered. Summary: The swap of the photograph and the shortening of the wall text have highlighted differences in how former presidents are described in the gallery and prompted public attention to choices about museum labeling. The gallery says it is exploring shorter labels and plans a temporary closure for updates from April 6 to May 14. Undetermined at this time.