Trump requests 30-foot George Washington statue at Smithsonian
President Trump requested that the Smithsonian Institution install a 30-foot statue of George Washington outside the National Museum of American History and create a special exhibit honoring the first president, running through February 22, 2032, the 300th anniversary of Washington's birth. Trump made the requests via social media posts on Friday.
Left-leaning outlets frame this as Trump's continued attempt to curate and control museum exhibits, characterizing it as part of his broader "crusade against the Smithsonian" and noting he criticized the institution's existing "Infinity" sculpture as uninspiring modernist work.
Center outlets present the request factually, noting Trump's specific proposal for a 30-foot statue and the timeline through the 300th anniversary of Washington's birth, without editorial characterization of his motives.
Right-leaning outlets report the request straightforwardly as Trump's call to honor the nation's first president with statuary and exhibits at the Smithsonian.