First 11 Feet, Then 30: Trump Wants Bigger Washington Statues
Source published: Sep 12, 2026 · 12:14 AM EDT · Event: 2026-09-11
AP and Reuters report that Trump asked the Smithsonian to install an 11-foot George Washington statue for Constitution Day, later replace an outdoor sculpture with a 30-foot Washington statue, and create an exhibit and a Center for American Heroes.
Response / context
AP reports that the Smithsonian operates outside the executive branch under a Board of Regents and that it is unclear whether Trump can compel the requested changes. Reuters reports that Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch had called earlier White House accusations against the National Museum of American History unfair. No confirmed implementation was reported in the articles reviewed.
Dates and scope
Source publication: Sep 12, 2026 · 12:14 AM EDT
Event or conduct: 2026-09-11. AP says the requests were made in late-Friday social-media posts while Trump was flying to Ireland.
Dated report. Publication, event and review times are different; the review time is when the sources were last checked, not a live update.
This brief preserves the available response and disposition. Coverage is non-exhaustive. How we review sources.
Read the original sources
- Associated Press: Trump asks Smithsonian to install George Washington statues and exhibit ↗
Published September 12 at 00:14 ET · indexed article text read
- Reuters: Trump criticizes Smithsonian's focus on oppression ↗
Published September 11 at 23:47 ET · direct article text read
Keep following this record
The Pardon Ledger is a free weekly email: new clemency grants and money entries, each with its sources, the response on record, and what changed.
Latest issue: Whose names are on the filings ↗
Or follow @innercircleledger.com on Bluesky and @PardonLedger on X · Support the Ledger · Download the data