New plaques on Trump’s ‘Presidential Walk of Fame’ offer pointed descriptions of predecessors
By Alejandra Jaramillo, Kit Maher, CNN
(CNN) — The White House has installed plaques along President Donald Trump’s “Presidential Walk of Fame,” offering descriptions of his predecessors, often written in the style of his social media posts — including insults, baseless claims and random capitalization.
A plaque at the front of the exhibit, which lines the walkway outside the West Wing of the White House, says it was “conceived, built, and dedicated” by Trump “as a tribute to past Presidents, good, bad and somewhere in the middle, who served our Country, and gave up so much in so doing.”
Trump’s own plaque touts his 2024 victory, saying he overcame the “unprecedented Weaponization of Law Enforcement against him, as well as two assassination attempts.” And it declares that Trump, who’s been in office for 11 months, has “delivered” on his Inauguration Day promise to usher in the “Golden Age of America,” pointing to his claims of wars ended, borders secured and alleged gang members deported.
The plaque for former President Joe Biden, who is represented by a photo of an autopen, leans on familiar Trump grievances. “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,” part of the plaque reads. “But despite it all, President Trump would get Re-Elected in a Landslide, and SAVE AMERICA!”
Other presidents receive similarly politicized descriptions, such as former President Barack Obama.
“Barack Hussein Obama was the first Black President, a community organizer, one term Senator from Illinois, and one of the most divisive political figures in American History,” the plaque reads. It dings him for passing what Trump calls “the highly ineffective ‘Unaffordable’ Care Act” and signing “the one-sided Paris Climate Accords.”
Former President Bill Clinton’s plaque notes policy achievements, but also points out Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s 2016 loss to Trump. “In 2016, President Clinton’s wife, Hillary, lost the Presidency to President Donald J. Trump!”
“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,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNN in a statement when asked for more information about who’s paying for them.
The president’s voice is especially prominent in the descriptions of Biden, with the style echoing some of Trump’s Truth Social posts.
“Nicknamed both ‘Sleepy’ and ‘Crooked,’ Joe Biden was dominated by his Radical Left handlers,” reads one plaque, which goes on to to push Trump’s long-running attack on Biden’s autopen use.
The criticism isn’t reserved for Democrats. The plaque for former President George W. Bush knocks him for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. “President Bush created the Department of Homeland Security, but started wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, both of which should not have happened.” But it also notes that he launched the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) — without mentioning the Trump administration suspended some of its funding earlier this year.
Some of the descriptions of earlier presidents appear less politicized.
Former President John F. Kennedy’s notes he was the first Catholic elected president, as well as some of his diplomatic maneuvers.
“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,” it reads. “Kennedy’s Presidency ended tragically with his assassination in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963.”
And while former President Jimmy Carter’s says that “his single term was marked by high inflation, high unemployment, and a rising ‘misery index,’” it also praises his humanitarian work after leaving the White House.
“Many feel that President Carter was more successful after his presidency than during it. He did wonderful things for Humanity!”
This story has been updated with additional information.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
