Donald Trump in a new attack: "Must start now"
US President Donald Trump calls for a giant 9-meter statue of George Washington to be placed outside the National Museum of American History, replacing the abstract sculpture "Infinity." Trump also requests an additional 3.3-meter statue in the Flag Hall by Constitution Day. The move reflects his ongoing efforts to promote "patriotic" history and classical architecture, amid his criticism of the Smithsonian and the resignation of the institution's director last week.
US President Donald Trump has launched a new attack on the Smithsonian, calling for a giant 9-meter statue of George Washington to be placed outside the National Museum of American History. The proposed statue is expected to replace "Infinity," an abstract sculpture by José de Rivera from 1967, which Trump described as a "weird modernist statue" that teaches nothing about America and is not inspiring. In another post, the president requested an additional 3.3-meter statue of Washington in the museum's Flag Hall, in time for Constitution Day on September 17. The demands reflect Trump's long-standing call for a return to "patriotic" history and the promotion of classical architecture in Washington, including a 76-meter triumphal arch and a national garden for American heroes he previously proposed. The move continues his consistent criticism of the Smithsonian, which he accused of promoting a negative view of American history. In a March 2025 executive order, Trump accused the institution of succumbing to a "divisive and race-focused ideology." Last week, the museum's director, Lonnie G. Bunch III, resigned amid tensions with the White House. The attitude toward the nation's founders has become a central point of friction for Trump, who has made their glorification a centerpiece of his administration's historical projects ahead of the United States' 250th anniversary. A July White House report accused the museum of "extreme political activism" and neglecting the heroism of the founding fathers. In February, explanatory signs at the President's House in Philadelphia focusing on the slaves Washington held were removed and replaced with new signs that soften references to his harsh treatment of them.