President Donald Trump wants the Smithsonian Institution to put up statues of George Washington and add an exhibit, according to AP News. The request was reported by the outlet on Saturday, September 12, 2026.
AP News did not publish further details on the request in the material available, including how many statues the president has in mind, where on the Smithsonian's grounds they would go, or what the exhibit would contain. It is also not clear from the reporting how the Smithsonian has responded, or whether the institution has commented publicly at all.
The Smithsonian Institution is the federally chartered museum and research complex based in Washington, D.C. George Washington, the first U.S. president, is already represented in the capital and in the Smithsonian's collections, though the reporting does not specify which existing works or displays the request is meant to add to or replace.
What to watch next is whether the Smithsonian issues a statement on the request and whether any specific plan, location, or timeline follows.
