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3d ago

Trump Demands Smithsonian Install Washington Statues and a Five-Year Exhibition

The public order presses the Smithsonian to change its displays while the institution moves through a leadership transition.

FILE - People visiting the Smithsonian Museum of American History on the National Mall in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais,File)
FILE - People are seen near the main entrance to the Smithsonian Institution Building, more commonly known as the Smithsonian Castle, which is closed for renovations, in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais,FIle)
The Smithsonian Institution is a Washington mainstay with 21 museums largely dedicated to American history, culture and art
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Overview

  • President Trump posted on Truth Social Friday night calling for the Smithsonian to place an 11-foot bronze George Washington statue in the National Museum of American History’s Flag Hall and dedicate it on Constitution Day, September 17, 2026.
  • He also asked the institution to immediately design a five-year exhibition on Washington and later replace the museum’s rotating abstract sculpture 'Infinity' with a proposed 30-foot 'Washington Colossus.'
  • The 11-foot bronze at the center of Trump’s demand was shown at the recent Freedom 250 event and is attributed in coverage to Atelier Missor, a fact reporters have linked to commentary about the artist’s politics.
  • The Smithsonian has not accepted or implemented Trump’s requests and is completing a leadership transition after Secretary Lonnie Bunch announced he will step down later this year.
  • The move follows a pattern of the administration pressing museum displays and public monuments, and reporters note the demand could heighten tensions over institutional independence and federal funding for the Smithsonian.