President Donald Trump is putting the Smithsonian on a tight clock, pushing for a major shift in how one of America’s biggest museums presents the nation’s story. At the center of the fight is a modernist sculpture outside the National Museum of American History, which Trump says should give way to a towering tribute to George Washington.
Trump blasted the longtime installation known as “Infinity,” saying it does not speak to the American experience the way a Founding Father does. He argued that Washington represents the country’s origins, its ideals, and the kind of heroism that should be front and center at a national museum.
In posts made Friday, Trump said the sculpture has been in place since 1967 and still “says nothing about America,” while Washington “more than anyone else, says everything about America.” That was not just a shot at one piece of art, but part of a broader demand that the Smithsonian lean harder into patriotic history.
He also called for a five-year exhibition focused on Washington, timed to run through Feb. 22, 2032, the 300th anniversary of the first president’s birth. Trump said the display should honor Washington’s life, sacrifices, and contributions in a way that matches his place in the nation’s founding story.
Trump went even further, saying the museum should place an 11-foot Washington statue in its Flag Hall by Constitution Day on Sept. 17. He framed the request as a matter of respect, arguing that the museum ought to spotlight the figures who built the country rather than downplay them.
The sculpture he wants removed, “Infinity,” was created by New York artist José de Rivera and installed with federal backing in 1967. It has sat outside the museum for decades, but in Trump’s view, longevity is no reason to keep something that does not reflect American values.
The push comes as Trump has repeatedly complained that the Smithsonian gives too little attention to Washington and the other Founding Fathers. He has especially singled out the crossing of the Delaware River and the victory at Trenton, saying those moments deserve far more room in the national story.
That grievance ties into a larger theme Trump has been hammering since the country moved closer to its 250th anniversary. He has argued that the Smithsonian should be celebrating the people, battles, and ideas that made the United States, not filtering history through a political lens.
Trump also took aim at the Smithsonian’s recently ended Center for Restorative History, which was designed to highlight overlooked stories. He said that effort should be replaced with a “Center for American Heroes,” a name that signals exactly where his priorities sit.
His version of that center would tell the stories of Americans who “faced great challenges, overcame them, built great things, defended our Country, made America better, and helped our Nation more fully live up to our Founding Ideals,” according to his post. The language makes clear that Trump wants the museum network to sound less academic and more unapologetically national.
There is still a big question hanging over all of this: whether Trump can actually force the Smithsonian to make the changes. The institution is not part of the executive branch, and it is overseen by a Board of Regents that includes Vice President JD Vance, Chief Justice John Roberts, lawmakers from both parties, and citizen members.
The White House has already been active on this front. In March 2025, Trump signed an executive order aimed at removing what the administration called “divisive narratives” and “improper ideology” from the Smithsonian, followed later by a report that criticized the museum system for not giving enough attention to Washington and other Founding Fathers.
In July, Trump also ordered his administration to put signs outside the National Museum of American History telling visitors that some exhibits are inaccurate. The Smithsonian’s Board of Regents has said it wants to remain nonpartisan and keep scholarship free from political pressure, while also acknowledging that the institution “can and must do more” to ensure its content is unbiased.
Smithsonian secretary Lonnie Bunch announced last week that he will step down at the end of the year, adding another layer of uncertainty to a museum system already under sharp scrutiny. For now, the pressure keeps building, and the debate over who gets honored on the National Mall is not fading anytime soon.
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Add Charlie Kirk 100 ft tall statue 2 someplace on SI grounds