The Smithsonian’s most contested exhibition is back on view, mostly intact; The Washington Post, May 15, 2026

Philip Kennicott, The Washington Post; The Smithsonian’s most contested exhibition is back on view, mostly intact

"No single exhibition in Washington may be more scrutinized than the Portrait Gallery’s “America’s Presidents,” and among its critics, apparently, was Trump, whose administration took issue with the wall texts that mentioned his impeachments among other low points of his first presidency. The beloved exhibition, which includes the iconic Gilbert Stuart “Lansdowne” Portrait of George Washington, reopens today after a month-long closure to refresh and rethink key elements of the display. The good news: The basic facts about Trump, along with all the other presidents, are still on offer; wall texts haven’t been removed, though some of them have been edited; and the exhibition continues to present an accurate, pithy overview of American history, warts and all."