In a move that has drawn immediate attention, former U.S. President Donald Trump has installed a series of new, explanatory plaques beneath the official portraits of his predecessors on the White House Colonnade. The installation, which Trump has dubbed a 'Presidential Walk of Fame,' features text that offers a distinctly partisan perspective on historical events.
A New Narrative on the Colonnade
The new plaques were put in place on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, at the White House in Washington, D.C. Photographic evidence from the Associated Press confirms the addition of the textual panels directly underneath the traditional presidential portraits that line the iconic colonnade. This area, often used for ceremonial events and greeting dignitaries, now carries a new layer of political commentary curated by the former president.
While the exact wording on each plaque has not been fully disclosed, reports indicate the text provides explanatory context that aligns with Trump's political viewpoints and interpretations of history. This act effectively reframes the legacy of past administrations through a modern, partisan lens, turning a space of historical reverence into one of contemporary political discourse.
Blurring Historical and Political Lines
The creation of this 'Walk of Fame' represents an unusual intervention by a former president into the symbolic landscape of the White House, an institution typically managed by the National Park Service and the current administration's office of the curator. The move raises questions about the use of federal property for personal or political historical narratives.
Analysts suggest this action continues Trump's pattern of engaging directly with historical legacy and media narrative, even after leaving office. By installing permanent-seeming plaques, he inserts his voice directly into the physical fabric of the executive mansion, ensuring that visitors and future occupants encounter his perspective alongside the official portraits.
Reactions and Implications
The installation has predictably sparked debate. Supporters may view it as a long-overdue corrective to what they see as biased historical accounts, while critics condemn it as an inappropriate politicization of a national monument. The act challenges traditional norms of how former presidents engage with the office's history and its physical spaces.
This development on December 17, 2025, adds another chapter to the ongoing and deeply polarized political climate in the United States. It underscores how battles over history, legacy, and public memory are increasingly being fought not just in books and speeches, but in the very halls of power themselves. The long-term status of these plaques, and whether they will remain under a future administration, remains an open question.
