WASHINGTON, September 15, 2026 – A late-night post sent from 35,000 feet has shaken up the quiet hallways of the National Museum of American History.
Flying aboard Air Force One toward his golf resort in Ireland, President Donald Trump posted an order through Truth Social platform. His order? Smithsonian Institution should redesign their entrance, demolish the famous modern artwork, and erect a gigantic 30-foot statue of “Washington Colossus.”
The proposed target for removal is José de Rivera’s Infinity, a sleek, rotating stainless-steel ribbon that’s greeted visitors on the National Mall since 1967. Trump didn’t mince words, writing that the modernist piece “tells visitors nothing about America” and “inspires no one”. Instead, he wants a giant representation of the nation’s first president—what he calls “America’s Greatest Hero”—standing tall outside the museum doors.
And that’s just the outdoor plan.
For indoors, Trump wants a 11-foot sculpture of George Washington, the same statue that was featured in the recent Freedom 250 IndyCar race on the Mall, to be put up in the museum’s Flag Hall. Not only did he set a short deadline, which was Constitution Day, September 17, but he wants an exhibition for years about the revolutionary accomplishments of George Washington, such as the famous crossing of the Delaware River, to be held all the way until February 2032, when the general turns 300.
The problem with this proposal is that the White House cannot force the Smithsonian to do anything.
The Smithsonian Institution, established by an Act of Congress in 1846, is an independent corporation chartered by the US Congress and operated as a public-private partnership. The institution has a Board of Regents consisting of 17 people, including Vice President JD Vance, Chief Justice John Roberts, Congress members, and private citizens.
However, the administration has at its disposal a $1 billion financial bargaining chip—an estimated 62 percent of the museum complex’s yearly budget from the federal government. This past year, there were signs that if the museum does not conform to the standards set by the administration, then funding would be cut or terminated.
This current move comes on the heels of several months of tension between the executive branch and the museum over how American history is represented. The White House had just recently issued a 162-page report that alleged the museum of American History was placing an emphasis on division within America rather than on its accomplishments.
This strain is already starting to show, as longtime Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III has resigned, leaving a leadership void as these cultural controversies come to a head. Meanwhile, those concerned with the arts have expressed their fear at the setting of a precedent for dismantling public artwork, with the example of the abrupt and surprise dismantling of Blue by Joel Shapiro near the Kennedy Center.
Is this 30-foot general going to float above Constitution Avenue? It is hard to tell. As Constitution Day approaches, the Board of Regents finds itself in a difficult position.
