President Donald Trump has installed new plaques on the White House’s Presidential Walk of Fame, labeling Joe Biden as “Sleepy Joe” and describing Barack Obama as “divisive.” The plaques, first seen publicly Wednesday, are part of Trump’s effort to reshape the White House in his own image.
The Walk of Fame and New Plaques
Trump’s additions feature his typical bombastic language and irregular capitalization. An introductory plaque declares that the exhibit was “conceived, built, and dedicated by President Donald J. Trump as a tribute to past Presidents, good, bad, and somewhere in the middle.” The plaques are said to be “eloquently written descriptions of each President and the legacy they left behind,” according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Portraits and Language
Trump’s additions feature his typical bombastic language and irregular capitalization. An introductory plaque declares that the exhibit was “conceived, built, and dedicated by President Donald J. Trump as a tribute to past Presidents, good, bad, and somewhere in the middle.” The plaques are said to be “eloquently written descriptions of each President and the legacy they left behind,” according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Specific President Descriptions
Joe Biden
Joe Biden is the only president in the display without a gilded portrait. Trump used an autopen to mock Biden’s age and claim that Biden was not fit for office. The plaque calls him “Sleepy Joe” and “by far, the worst President in American History” who “brought our Nation to the brink of destruction.” It blames Biden for inflation, energy and immigration policy, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and falsely asserts that Biden was elected fraudulently. Biden’s post-White House office did not comment.
Barack Obama
The plaque describes Obama as “a community organizer, one term Senator from Illinois, and one of the most divisive political figures in American History.” It calls the Affordable Care Act “highly ineffective” and lists the Iran Nuclear Deal and Paris Climate Accords as “terrible.” An aide to Obama declined comment.
George W. Bush
The plaque credits Bush for creating the Department of Homeland Security and leading the nation after 9/11, but decries that he “started wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, both of which should not have happened.” An aide to Bush did not return a request for comment.
Bill Clinton
Clinton’s plaque gives faint praise for crime legislation, social safety net reforms and balanced budgets. It notes that the North American Free Trade Agreement was “bad for the United States” and that Trump would “terminate” it during his first presidency. The plaque ends with the line: “In 2016, President Clinton’s wife, Hillary, lost the Presidency to President Donald J. Trump!” An aide to Clinton did not return a request for comment.
Other Plaques
The display also honors Republican George H.W. Bush, Lyndon Johnson, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and Andrew Jackson. Each plaque highlights achievements or controversies, such as the Civil Rights Act, the Watergate scandal, and criticism of the press.
Trump’s Own Plaques
Trump’s two plaques celebrate his presidencies. One praises the “Greatest Economy in the History of the World” and calls his 2016 Electoral College margin a “landslide.” The second notes his popular-vote victory in 2020 and concludes that “THE BEST IS YET TO COME.” The introductory plaque suggests the Walk of Fame will “long live as a testament and tribute to the Greatness of America.”
Key Takeaways
- Trump’s Walk of Fame plaques label Biden “Sleepy Joe” and Obama “divisive,” sparking criticism.
- The installation uses Trump’s own language and is installed without comment from most former presidents’ aides.
- The plaques are part of a broader effort by Trump to reshape how U.S. history is presented at the White House.
The new plaques have drawn attention to Trump’s ongoing attempt to rewrite presidential legacy, as he continues to modify the White House’s interior and influence federal historical narratives.
