President Trump Proposes 30-Foot George Washington Monument for Smithsonian

President Donald Trump has urged the Smithsonian Institution to erect a 30-foot “Colossus statue” of George Washington outside the National Museum of American History, alongside a dedicated exhibit honoring the nation’s first president. The request was made via a social media post late on Friday.

Trump specified that the exhibit should run through February 2032, marking the 300th anniversary of Washington’s birth. “He is easily America’s Greatest Hero. Without him, our Country and our Freedoms wouldn’t exist,” the president posted on Truth Social while traveling to his golf course in Ireland.

The proposed statue would replace the existing Infinity sculpture by New York artist José de Rivera, a federal commission installed in 1967. This demand highlights Trump’s view of himself as the curator-in-chief of national museums. His administration released a 162-page report in March 2025, accusing the museum of prioritizing oppression, social justice, and division over shared national achievements.

In July, Trump directed the interior department to place signs outside the Smithsonian National Museum of American History alleging institutional inaccuracy. The order mandated that signs “shall notify visitors that the museum exhibits should be renovated consistent with the findings in the report,” though these signs have not yet appeared.

In his Friday post, Trump criticized the Smithsonian for omitting Washington’s famous crossing of the Delaware River during the Revolutionary War, calling it “one of the greatest moments and turning points of the Revolution.” He also noted the exclusion of Washington’s victory at Trenton, stating, “Stories of the Americans who fought and died for our Independence, deserve far more attention.”

Trump suggested replacing the recently concluded Center for Restorative History—which highlighted marginalized stories—with a “Center for American Heroes.” However, it remains uncertain whether Trump possesses the authority to enforce such changes, as the Smithsonian operates independently of the executive branch. Its oversight board includes JD Vance, Chief Justice John Roberts, bipartisan lawmakers, and private citizens.

Last week, Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch announced his resignation by year’s end after seven years leading the institution. “We’re at a time when people are challenging that independence,” Bunch told the Washington Post. “but I feel very strongly that it is as independent as we were before, and that I will continue to fight – for as long as I’m in this chair – for the independence of the Smithsonian.”

The administration’s influence over arts and culture appears to be growing. For Constitution Day on September 17, Trump requested the Smithsonian display the 11-foot Washington statue from the recent Freedom 250 IndyCar race in the museum’s Flag Hall.

The Kennedy Center board, largely composed of Trump appointees, recently removed “Blue,” a sculpture by the late Joel Shapiro, from its grounds without prior public announcement or consultation. Meanwhile, Trump’s broader efforts to reshape Washington include a proposed “Garden of Heroes” along the Potomac River and a newly installed Washington statue in the remodeled Rose Garden patio.

The push extends to two-dimensional art as well. Last month, the state department indicated it might sell a Kehinde Wiley painting removed from the US embassy in the Dominican Republic. Titled “Young Artists after Siamesas 1960,” the canvas depicts two young Dominican women standing beside two seated men. Commissioned in 2013, Wiley later painted Barack Obama’s official portrait. Erin Scavino, director of Art in Embassies, dismissed the work as “very woke” and “aesthetically terrifying.”

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