Trump Officials Push for Expanded Portrait Display at Smithsonian

Officials in the Trump administration have raised the possibility of creating a dedicated display of multiple images of President Donald Trump at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, in addition to his current official portrait, according to reports citing people familiar with internal discussions.

The idea was discussed during a mid-December visit to the museum by Abby Jones, the acting chief of protocol at the US State Department, and White House photographer Daniel Torok. Administration representatives suggested that artworks of the president sent by supporters to the White House could be shown as part of a focused presentation. No formal proposal has been submitted to the Smithsonian, and it is unclear whether the concept is under active consideration.

The White House said in a statement that the president receives large volumes of artworks from supporters and that he wants such works to be displayed in public institutions in Washington. The National Portrait Gallery declined to comment on the reported discussions.

The gallery currently presents a photographic portrait of Trump by Torok in its permanent “America’s Presidents” exhibition. Recent updates to that display included replacing an earlier photograph with an image preferred by the president and shortening the accompanying wall label. References to Trump’s two impeachments and the 6 January 2021 Capitol attack were removed. The museum said the changes were part of a broader exhibition refresh and that impeachment history is addressed elsewhere in Smithsonian museums.

The Portrait Gallery typically unveils commissioned painted presidential portraits only after a president leaves office, although multiple images of earlier presidents appear in the exhibition.

The discussions come amid ongoing friction between the White House and the Smithsonian. The administration has criticised what it describes as political bias in museum interpretation, requested detailed information about Smithsonian content and finances, and warned of possible funding consequences. Trump also publicly moved to dismiss the gallery’s director, Kim Sajet; Smithsonian officials asserted their governance independence, and Sajet later resigned.