On December 21, 2025, the White House grounds became the stage for a spectacle unlike any in recent presidential memory. New plaques were installed beneath the portraits of former U.S. presidents along Donald Trump’s self-styled “Presidential Walk of Fame,” sparking immediate controversy and a storm of debate across the nation. According to Al Jazeera English, the plaques not only attacked many of Trump’s predecessors but also made questionable claims about his own achievements, marking a sharp departure from the traditionally respectful tone of presidential commemorations.
The unveiling, first publicly seen on Wednesday, was accompanied by a sign at the walkway entrance, which declared that the exhibit was “conceived, built, and dedicated” by Trump himself as a tribute to presidents “good, bad, and somewhere in the middle” who served the nation. As CNN reported, the plaques wasted no time in making their mark, offering pointed—and some would say mocking—commentary on both Democratic and Republican former presidents, while shining a flattering spotlight on Trump’s own record.
The plaque beneath President Joe Biden’s portrait was perhaps the most incendiary. It labeled Biden “Sleepy Joe” and asserted, “Sleepy Joe Biden was, by far, the worst President in American History. Taking office as a result of the most corrupt Election ever seen in the United States, Biden oversaw a series of unprecedented disasters that brought our Nation to the brink of destruction. But despite it all, President Trump would get Re-Elected in a Landslide, and SAVE AMERICA!” The text went on: “Nicknamed both sleepy and crooked, Joe Biden was dominated by his Radical Left handlers. They and their allies in the Fake News Media attempted to cover up his severe mental decline, and his unprecedented use of the Autopen. Following his humiliating debate loss to President Trump in the big June 2024 debate, he was forced to withdraw from his campaign for re-election in disgrace.”
Barack Obama’s plaque also pulled no punches. It described him as “the first Black President, a community organizer, one term Senator from Illinois, and one of the most divisive political figures in American History.” The text continued, “As president, he passed the highly ineffective Unaffordable Care Act, resulting in his party losing control of both Houses of Congress.” According to Al Jazeera English, this kind of language was unprecedented in official White House displays, raising eyebrows even among those accustomed to Trump’s combative style.
Former President Bill Clinton, who once enjoyed a cordial relationship with Trump, received a more measured—though hardly glowing—assessment. His plaque acknowledged his major crime reforms, overhaul of the social safety net, and balanced budgets, but emphasized that these accomplishments came “with a Republican-controlled Congress, the 1990s tech boom, and despite the scandals that plagued his Presidency.” The plaque also noted, somewhat pointedly, that Clinton’s wife, Hillary Clinton, “lost the Presidency to President Donald J. Trump in 2016.”
Trump’s own plaque, in contrast, was a celebration of what he sees as his historic achievements. It credits him with a second non-consecutive term beginning January 20, 2025, and describes a “Historic Victory in an Electoral College landslide, 312 to 226.” The text claims Trump ended eight wars, secured borders, reduced energy costs, lowered inflation, and attracted “trillions of dollars of new investment” into the U.S. It continues, “On January 20, 2025, Donald J. Trump became the first President in 132 years to be sworn into office for a second non-consecutive term… Overcoming unprecedented Weaponization of Law Enforcement against him, as well as two assassination attempts, he won all battleground States by millions of votes, was the first Republican in decades to win the Popular Vote, BIG, and won 86% of Counties in America, 2,700 to 525. All 50 States shifted toward the Republican Party for the first time ever.”
Even Republican predecessors were not spared criticism. George W. Bush’s plaque acknowledged his creation of the Department of Homeland Security and his handling of the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, but criticized his role in initiating wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The plaque referenced Bush’s leadership on the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) but omitted any mention of funding suspensions that occurred under Trump’s own administration.
John F. Kennedy’s plaque, meanwhile, struck a more historical note, highlighting his election as the first Catholic president, his diplomatic efforts during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the setbacks of the Bay of Pigs invasion, and his tragic assassination in Dallas on November 22, 1963. “Kennedy suffered a painful setback during the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion, and was President when the Soviet Union built the Berlin Wall, but skillfully navigated the threat of nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Kennedy’s Presidency ended tragically with his assassination in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963,” the plaque read.
The reaction to the exhibit was swift and polarized. Social media platforms lit up with criticism, with many users calling the move unprecedented in its tone and a violation of the decorum that has long defined presidential tributes. According to CNN, critics from both sides of the political spectrum questioned the wisdom of lampooning former presidents in such a public and enduring fashion, especially on the grounds of the White House itself.
Yet, not everyone in the Trump administration saw the plaques as problematic. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNN, “The plaques are eloquently written descriptions of each President and the legacy they left behind. As a student of history, many were written directly by the President himself.” This assertion—that Trump personally penned many of the descriptions—added another layer to the debate, raising questions about the objectivity and historical accuracy of the display.
For supporters of the former president, the plaques represented a bold and unapologetic effort to set the record straight, at least from Trump’s perspective. They view the exhibit as a necessary corrective to what they see as years of unfair treatment by the media and political establishment. On the other hand, critics argue that the plaques amount to little more than political score-settling, undermining the dignity of the office and the spirit of bipartisan respect that has traditionally characterized presidential memorials.
Whatever one’s view, the “Presidential Walk of Fame” now stands as a vivid testament to the power—and peril—of historical narrative in the hands of those who wield it. The exhibit is not only Trump’s latest effort to leave a personal imprint on the White House, but also a reminder that history is often as much about who tells the story as it is about the facts themselves.