Trump installs new White House plaques critiquing former presidents

President Donald Trump has overseen the installation of new plaques beneath portraits of former US presidents along the West Wing colonnade, an area referred to by the White House as a presidential “Walk of Fame.”

The text beneath the portraits uses language that departs from conventional historical summaries. The plaque for Joe Biden states that “Sleepy Joe Biden was, by far, the worst president in American history,” and replaces his image with a photograph of an autopen.

Barack Obama’s plaque identifies him as “Barack Hussein Obama” and describes him as “one of the most divisive political figures in American history.” It criticizes his healthcare reform by labeling it the “highly ineffectual ‘Unaffordable’ Care Act” and references his administration’s Iran policy.

Other Democratic presidents are also described in blunt terms. Harry Truman’s domestic agenda is referred to as the “so-called Fair Deal,” while John F. Kennedy’s biography highlights the Bay of Pigs invasion as a “failed” operation. Bill Clinton’s plaque credits economic growth during the 1990s but notes “scandals that plagued his presidency” and concludes by stating that Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 presidential election to Trump.

The plaques also address Republican former president George W. Bush, stating that his presidency was “largely defined” by the September 11, 2001, attacks and that he “started wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, both of which should not have happened.” Ronald Reagan’s plaque praises his Cold War record and claims he was “a fan of President Donald J. Trump” well before Trump’s 2026 White House run.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the plaques provide descriptions of each president and their legacy, adding that many were written directly by Trump. A spokesperson for Biden declined to comment.

The plaques form part of broader changes ordered by Trump at the White House. These include paving over much of the Rose Garden to create a stone patio and plans to demolish the East Wing to build a 90,000-square-foot ballroom. The ballroom, expected to be funded by private donations, is now estimated to cost $400 million, up from an earlier estimate of $250 million.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Donald Trump announced the cancellation of all documents signed by former President Joe Biden using an autopen.