In a move that has reignited political controversy, President Donald Trump has installed plaques under portraits of former US presidents in the White House, using them as a platform for sharp criticism. The plaques, part of what Trump calls the “Presidential Walk of Fame,” appear along the West Wing Colonnade and are reportedly written by the President himself, according to ABC.
Rather than offering historical summaries, the plaques adopt pointed, opinionated language that mirrors Trump’s posts on his social platform, TruthSocial, drawing both attention and ire from political observers.
New plaques have been installed below the photos of Presidents along the new White House Presidential Walk of Fame. pic.twitter.com/JG20bWtvTL
— Zoe Cox (@ZoeCox110598) December 17, 2025
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‘Divisive Obama’ And ‘Sleepy Joe’
President Trump has installed plaques underneath portraits of presidents at the White House, using them to insult and make unfounded claims about some of his predecessors, including Joe Biden and Barack Obama.
Read more: https://t.co/NO7gT35DE0 pic.twitter.com/ENBDE6RQYR
— ABC News (@ABC) December 17, 2025
Barack Obama, for example, is described on his plaque as “one of the most divisive political figures.” The text continues to criticize his signature legislative effort, stating, “As President, he passed the highly ineffective ‘Unaffordable’ Care Act, resulting in his party losing control of both Houses of Congress, and the Election of the largest House Republican majority since 1946.”
Joe Biden, meanwhile, receives the harshest critique, “Sleepy Joe 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.”
These pointed labels have sparked renewed debate over Trump’s approach to presidential history and the tradition of honoring predecessors in a neutral, fact-based manner.
Praise For Allies, Criticism For Rivals
Not all plaques are critical. Ronald Reagan is lauded extensively, with Trump writing: “Known as ‘The Great Communicator,’ he was re-elected in a landslide in 1984, and left office with high approval… He was a fan of President Donald J. Trump long before President Trump’s Historic run for the White House. Likewise, President Trump was a fan of his!”
Bill Clinton, on the other hand, is largely diminished in his description, with Trump crediting “Republicans in Congress” for legislative accomplishments during his tenure. References to the 2016 election, in which Hillary Clinton lost to Trump, are also included.
Continuing The Trump-Style Trolling
This is not the first time Trump has used public platforms to ridicule political figures. The plaques arrive shortly after the former president faced criticism for a social media post about the death of actor-director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele. Trump wrote that Reiner died “due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind-crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.”
With the addition of these plaques, Trump has turned the White House itself into a stage for his characteristic style of trolling, blending political commentary with personal opinion in a way that has provoked both amusement and outrage across the nation.
