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Donald Trump Proposes 30-Foot George Washington Statue and Exhibit at Smithsonian

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Just the facts

Trump requested that the special exhibit honoring the nation's first president run through February 22, 2032, to mark the 300th anniversary of George Washington's birth. The proposed 30-foot statue would replace the Infinity sculpture, created by artist José de Rivera, which has stood outside the museum since 1967. In addition, Trump asked the institution to display an 11-foot statue of Washington in the museum's Flag Hall for Constitution Day on September 17. Governance of the Smithsonian Institution rests with its Board of Regents, which operates independently of executive branch control under Secretary Lonnie Bunch.

Why this is news

President Donald Trump submitted a formal proposal to the Smithsonian Institution requesting the installation of a 30-foot "Colossus statue" of George Washington outside the National Museum of American History. The proposal comes amidst wider administration efforts regarding federal historical displays and museum programming.

Sources

This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.

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