Trump Calls For New ‘Colossus Statue’ of George Washington In 2032 Plan
Donald Trump has publicly urged the National Museum of American History to replace the abstract sculpture Infinity with a towering 30‑foot Washington Colossus, timed for the tricentennial of the first president’s birth.
The plan calls for an existing 11‑foot bronze George Washington statue to be placed in Flag Hall before the larger work is completed. The bronze, crafted by the French collective Atelier Missor, first appeared at the Freedom 250 Grand Prix IndyCar event on the National Mall.
Trump’s demand follows an executive order aimed at removing what his administration calls “improper ideology” from Smithsonian exhibitions. The museum, however, operates independently under a board that includes political leaders and the chief justice, making the feasibility of the project uncertain.
Critics note that Infinity, a stainless‑steel piece designed by José de Rivera in 1967, is a landmark of modern public art and the first government‑commissioned abstract sculpture in Washington. Replacing it with a monumental historic figure would shift the narrative from avant‑garde expression to traditional hero worship.
The controversy underscores a broader cultural clash over how American history and its founders should be presented in national institutions, pitting contemporary artistic legacy against calls for overt patriotic symbolism.