Trump Calls for 30-Foot George Washington Statue at Smithsonian
President Trump posted a series of demands on Truth Social Friday night, calling on the Smithsonian to erect a 30-foot George Washington statue, launch a five-year exhibition, and install a second Washington statue in time for Constitution Day.
- 30 feet: the height Trump wants for the 'Washington Colossus' outside the museum.
- The 'Infinity' sculpture it would replace was the first modern art commissioned by the U.S. government for the National Mall, installed in 1967.
- 11-foot Washington statue from the Freedom 250 IndyCar race on the National Mall would go in the museum's Flag Hall.
- The Smithsonian receives roughly $1 billion in federal funding, about 62% of its total budget.
Why it matters: The demands land as the Trump administration's long-running pressure campaign on the Smithsonian reaches a turning point. Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III announced his resignation on September 8, after months of conflict with the White House over the institution's programming.
- The White House previously warned that federal agencies could cut ties with the Smithsonian if it continued what administration officials called a divisive ideological agenda.
- The Smithsonian's Board of Regents — which oversees leadership — includes Vice President JD Vance, Chief Justice John Roberts, and a bipartisan group of lawmakers, limiting direct White House control.
How 28 sources split on this story
Where they split: The core dispute is whether Trump has the authority to direct the Smithsonian's curatorial decisions, and whether his characterizations of the museum's current programming are accurate.
Center coverage, 10 sources: The center focuses on the specific requests and fact-checks Trump's claim that the museum ignores Washington's Delaware crossing, noting the museum's website contradicts that assertion.
USA Today15hTrump wants Smithsonian to erect new George Washington statue, exhibitYNYahoo News15hTrump wants Smithsonian to erect new George Washington statue, exhibit
Associated Press1dTrump asks Smithsonian to install George Washington statues and exhibitCNCTV News11hTrump wants the Smithsonian Institution to install George Washington statues and exhibitKSAKSAT 12 San Antonio1dTrump wants the Smithsonian Institution to install George Washington statues and exhibit
Newsweek20hTrump calls for new 'colossus statue' of George Washington in 2032 plan
PBS NewsHour12hTrump asks Smithsonian to install George Washington statues and exhibit
Reuters1dTrump criticizes Smithsonian's focus on oppression
The Hill13hTrump wants Smithsonian to build George Washington statue, exhibitWYWKBN Youngstown11hTrump wants the Smithsonian Institution to install George Washington statues and exhibitLeft coverage, 6 sources: The left frames the story around Trump's limited legal authority over the independent institution and the broader pattern of political pressure on cultural institutions, noting the 'Infinity' sculpture's historical significance.
Mediaite1dTrump Is Already Planning for 2032 as He Demands New ’30-Foot’ Statue at the Smithsonian
Raw Story1dTrump demands 'Washington Colossus' statue be enshrined at Smithsonian
Salon11hTrump wants to remake the Smithsonian — again
The Independent11hTrump plans yet another facelift for Washington with a statue of this president
The New York Times8hTrump Demands Smithsonian Install ‘Colossus’ George Washington StatueRight coverage, 12 sources: The right presents Trump's demands as a straightforward push to restore proper recognition of America's founders at a taxpayer-funded institution that has strayed from its mission.
New York Post23hTrump demands Smithsonian replace ‘strange modernist’ sculpture that ‘inspires no one’ with 30-foot-tall ‘Washington Colossus’
Washington Examiner1dTrump asks Smithsonian to honor George Washington with statue
The Epoch Times1dTrump Calls on Smithsonian to Install George Washington Statue Outside National Museum
BizPac Review15hTrump calls for new ’30-foot’ Smithsonian statue to replace ‘strange modernist’ Infinity sculpture
Just the News1dTrump calls on Smithsonian to install 30-foot George Washington statue and 5-year exhibition
Newsmax15hTrump Urges Smithsonian to Honor Washington
NTD9hTrump Calls on Smithsonian to Install George Washington Statue Outside National Museum
One America News17hTrump calls on Smithsonian to erect a ‘colossus statue’ of George Washington, ‘instead of focusing on ideological activism’
PJ Media9hTrump Proposes Smithsonian Tributes to George Washington, ‘America’s Greatest Hero’
The Gateway Pundit2hTrump Tells Smithsonian to Tear Down “Strange Modernist” Infinity Sculpture and Install “Colossus Statue” of George Washington at National Museum of American History * The Gateway Pundit * by Jordan Conradson
The Washington Times11hTrump wants the Smithsonian Institution to install George Washington statues and exhibit
Townhall13hTrump Wants to Make a Patriotic Shake-Up at This American History MuseumWhat’s next: Trump set Constitution Day, September 17, as the target date for the Flag Hall statue dedication.
- The five-year Washington exhibition Trump requested would run through February 22, 2032 — the 300th anniversary of Washington's birth.
- Will the Smithsonian's Board of Regents act on any of Trump's requests, and on what timeline?
- Trump claimed the museum makes no mention of Washington's Delaware crossing; the museum's website lists a February event on that subject — how that discrepancy is resolved is unclear.
- Whether the administration will follow through on threatened funding cuts if the Smithsonian does not comply remains an open question.