President Trump escalated his campaign against the Smithsonian Institution late Friday, demanding that the museum complex replace a long-standing modernist sculpture with a towering tribute to George Washington. In social media posts, he called for a 30-foot statue of the first president to be placed outside the National Museum of American History (NMAH) and for the creation of a five-year exhibit dedicated to Washington's legacy.
The president specifically targeted the “Infinity” sculpture, which has stood outside the NMAH since 1967, calling it “strange” and asserting that it “tells visitors nothing about America, inspires no one, and honors none of our Great American Heroes.” He argued that Washington, by contrast, is “easily America’s Greatest Hero” and that without him, “our Country and our Freedoms wouldn’t exist.”
Trump requested that work on the exhibit begin immediately, with the goal of having it open by February 22, 2032—the 300th anniversary of Washington’s birth. The president has repeatedly criticized Smithsonian leadership for promoting what he describes as a “social justice” agenda, and this latest request is part of a broader push to reshape how the museum presents American history.
The Smithsonian operates independently of the White House, but its Board of Regents includes Vice President JD Vance, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, bipartisan lawmakers, and citizen members. This week, Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch announced he would step down by the end of the year, a move that follows ongoing disputes with the Trump administration.
In July, Trump directed the installation of signage outside the NMAH warning visitors that some exhibits did not reflect his administration’s view of the nation’s past. That action was based on a White House report that accused Smithsonian leaders of being “extreme” activists and concluded that the museum “fails in the basic task of illuminating” U.S. history. The administration also threatened in September to cut federal agencies’ cooperation with the museum complex, citing the same report.
“Instead of focusing on ideological activism, the leaders of America’s taxpayer-funded, National History Museum should be focused on telling America’s story—fairly, accurately, and coherently—and there is no better person to start with than George Washington,” Trump wrote in his Saturday Truth Social post.
The Smithsonian Institution did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The president’s push comes as he has also floated economic proposals that face legal hurdles, and his broader cultural agenda has drawn both support and criticism from lawmakers. Some GOP figures have backed his efforts to reframe national narratives, while Democrats have accused him of political interference in an independent institution.
The fate of the Infinity sculpture and the proposed Washington exhibit remains uncertain, but Trump’s demand signals a continued willingness to use his platform to influence cultural institutions, a pattern that has included other symbolic initiatives. With Bunch’s departure, the Smithsonian faces a leadership transition that could shape how it responds to presidential pressure.
