President Donald Trump has unveiled a series of newly installed plaques along the White House’s Presidential Walk of Fame that offer his own characterisations of former U.S. presidents’ legacies, blending historical narrative with pointed political messaging.

The installation, which runs along the West Wing Colonnade, features gilded portraits and accompanying plaques that describe past leaders through a distinctly Trumpian lens, departing from the non-partisan tone typical of presidential historical displays.

Under the revised display, the portrait traditionally associated with President Joe Biden has been replaced with a photograph of an autopen device — a mechanical tool for reproducing signatures — accompanied by text accusing him of being “the worst President in American history” and alleging his election was corrupt.

The plaque’s language reflects Trump’s long-standing critiques of Biden’s tenure and assertions about the legitimacy of his predecessors’ actions.

Barack Obama’s plaque portrays the former president as a deeply divisive figure, while other Democratic and Republican predecessors, including Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, receive critical appraisals that focus on their policy decisions and perceived shortcomings.

At the same time, Republican leaders who have been favourable to Trump’s own narrative, such as Ronald Reagan, are cast in a comparatively positive light, reflecting Trump’s emphasis on his ideological lineage.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the plaques as expressions of Trump’s historical perspective, saying many were authored by the president himself.

The project is part of a broader transformation of the White House environment under Trump’s second administration, which has included aesthetic changes to the Rose Garden and West Wing spaces.

The partisan nature of the plaques has drawn sharp reactions from critics who argue that the traditional role of the White House as a unifying national symbol is being undermined.

Supporters, however, view the display as a bold statement of Trump’s reinterpretation of American presidential history and an affirmation of his leadership narrative.

The ongoing debate over the installation highlights broader cultural and political tensions over how U.S. history and leadership legacies should be represented and remembered within the nation’s most prominent institutions.