President Donald Trump has attached partisan labels to the portraits of all former U.S. presidents, including himself, on his “Presidential Walk of Fame” at the White House. In the updated exhibit revealed recently, Trump described Joe Biden as “sleepy,” Barack Obama as “divisive,” and Ronald Reagan as an admirer of a young Trump.
The new plaques signify Trump’s ongoing efforts to reshape the White House to align with his own perspective, disregarding traditional presidential decorum towards predecessors and emphasizing his goal to redefine the narrative of U.S. history. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt characterized the installation in the colonnade as containing well-written descriptions of each president and their respective legacies, some of which were directly composed by the President himself.
The descriptions in the exhibit exhibit Trump’s characteristic bombastic style and erratic capitalization, shedding light on his complex relationships with recent former presidents. A plaque introducing the exhibit states that it was “conceived, built, and dedicated by President Donald J. Trump as a tribute to past Presidents, good, bad, and somewhere in the middle.”
In addition to the Walk of Fame and its new plaques, Trump has decorated the Oval Office with gold accents and cleared the East Wing for a potential grand ballroom. Concurrently, his administration has advocated for a reevaluation of how national history is presented in Smithsonian exhibits. Furthermore, Trump is actively involved in shaping how the federal government will commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary in 2026.
The exhibit in Trump’s colonnade showcases the presidential narratives as follows:
**Joe Biden:** Trump chose not to feature a gilded portrait of Joe Biden, instead opting for an autopen, symbolizing his ridicule of Biden’s age and competence. Biden is portrayed as “Sleepy Joe” and labeled as “by far, the worst President in American History” in the exhibit’s description.
**Barack Obama:** The 44th president is characterized as “a community organizer, one-term Senator from Illinois, and one of the most divisive political figures in American History.” The plaque criticizes Obama’s key domestic policy, referring to it as “the highly ineffective ‘Unaffordable Care Act.”
**George W. Bush:** Despite past tensions between the two leaders, George W. Bush is acknowledged for establishing the Department of Homeland Security and leading the nation following the 9/11 attacks. However, the plaque condemns Bush for initiating wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, which it deems unnecessary.
**Bill Clinton:** Bill Clinton, once a friend of Trump’s, is commended for significant crime legislation and fiscal accomplishments. However, the plaque underscores that Clinton achieved these milestones with the assistance of a Republican Congress, the 1990s “tech boom,” and despite scandals that marred his presidency. The plaque also critiques the North American Free Trade Agreement as detrimental to the U.S.
**Donald Trump:** With two displays dedicated to his two terms, Trump’s plaques overflow with praises and superlatives, hailing his economic achievements as unparalleled. The introductory plaque anticipates Trump’s lasting impact on the White House, proclaiming that “The Presidential Walk of Fame will long live as a testament and tribute to the Greatness of America.”
The unveiling of the updated plaques sparked immediate reactions. Former Vice President Kamala Harris expressed disappointment in the portrayal of former presidents by a sitting president, emphasizing the need for better representation. Meanwhile, the office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom shared a photoshopped image of Trump depicted as sleeping above his portrait, accompanied by a caption declaring Trump’s decline in popularity.