WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has added subjective and partisan plaques to his “Presidential Walk of Fame” display in the West Wing, further personalizing the White House aesthetic and continuing efforts to shape historical narratives.
A Personalized History
The installation, which began months ago with gilded portraits lining a colonnade, now features plaques containing language described as “Trumpian” in style. These include references to President Joe Biden as “Sleepy Joe” and assertions portraying Republican icon Ronald Reagan as a supporter of a young Trump. The effort extends beyond the portraits, encompassing changes to the Oval Office and plans to expand the East Wing with a new ballroom.
According to an introductory plaque, the Walk of Fame was “conceived, built, and dedicated by President Donald J. Trump as a tribute to past Presidents, good, bad, and somewhere in the middle.” However, the plaques themselves offer highly critical and, in some cases, demonstrably false assessments of past leaders.
Contentious Assessments
The plaque dedicated to President Biden repeats the false claim that his election was the “most corrupt election ever,” despite his victory in both the popular vote and the Electoral College in 2020. It further states that Biden is “by far, the worst president in American history.” Former President Barack Obama is labeled “one of the most divisive political figures in American history.”
Even assessments of Republican presidents are not uniformly positive. The plaque accompanying George W. Bush’s portrait acknowledges his creation of the Department of Homeland Security but criticizes his decisions to initiate wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, stating they “should not have happened.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the texts as “eloquently written descriptions of each president,” adding that “many were written directly by the President himself.” President Biden has not publicly commented on his plaque, and responses from aides to other former presidents were not immediately available.
Looking Ahead
The introductory plaque suggests an expectation of permanence, stating that the “Presidential Walk of Fame will long live as a testament and tribute to the Greatness of America.” However, future administrations could choose to alter or remove the display. It is possible that a subsequent president may replace the current plaques with more neutral or historically conventional interpretations. Alternatively, the display could remain untouched as a historical artifact of the Trump presidency. The long-term fate of the Walk of Fame remains uncertain.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Presidential Walk of Fame?
It is a display created by President Donald Trump featuring portraits of former presidents along a colonnade in the West Wing, accompanied by plaques with descriptions of each president.
What does the plaque about President Biden say?
The plaque repeats false claims about the 2020 election and describes President Biden as “by far, the worst president in American history.”
Who wrote the text on the plaques?
According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, many of the texts were written directly by President Trump.
How might future presidents respond to this display?
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