Donald Trump has transformed a quiet White House tradition into a blunt political statement, ordering new plaques beneath presidential portraits that openly attack his Democratic predecessors.
Barack Obama and Joe Biden
White House officials this week unveiled revised displays along what they now call the "Presidential Walk of Fame", with descriptions that read less like historical summaries and more like Trump's social media posts. Former president Joe Biden is labeled "by far, the worst President in American history," while Barack Obama is described as "one of the most divisive political figures" to ever hold office. The plaques, installed along the West Wing colonnade, permanently reflect Trump's personal judgments. Biden's entry goes further, claiming he took office after "the most corrupt Election ever seen in the United States." Obama's presidency is criticized for passing the Affordable Care Act, mockingly renamed the "Unaffordable Care Act", and blamed for Democratic losses in Congress.
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Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton
Bill Clinton's record is also minimized, with credit for legislative successes given largely to Republicans. One line highlights Trump's own victory in 2016, noting that Hillary Clinton "lost the Presidency to President Donald J. Trump!"
Ronald Reagan
By contrast, Republican presidents receive glowing treatment. Ronald Reagan's plaque praises him as "The Great Communicator" and even claims Reagan was personally a fan of Trump, a compliment Trump returns in kind.
Biden as autopen
In a particularly provocative move, some time ago, Biden's portrait had been removed altogether and replaced with an image of an autopen, referencing Republican claims that aides frequently signed documents on his behalf.
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Reshaping the White House
The overhaul is part of Trump's broader effort to reshape the White House in his image. The changes arrive amid mounting criticism of Trump's rhetoric more broadly, including backlash over comments he made following the killing of filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, and as the United States faces growing pressure over expiring healthcare subsidies tied to the Affordable Care Act, the same program now mocked on the Obama plaque.