Smithsonian asked by Trump to add George Washington statues

US President Donald Trump asked the Smithsonian Institution on Friday to install statues of George Washington and create a five-year exhibition honoring the first US president at the National Museum of American History in Washington.

Trump called for a 30-foot, or nine-meter, “Colossus statue” of Washington and an exhibition on his “Life and Legacy” to run through February 22, 2032, the 300th anniversary of Washington's birth. He also said he wanted an 11-foot, or three-meter, Washington statue used in August's Freedom 250 IndyCar motor race to be displayed in the museum's Flag Hall.

Trump has accused the Smithsonian of trying to rewrite American history on issues of race and gender. A 162-page White House report said Smithsonian leadership has “consistently denigrated and displaced whites, males, Christians, and Americans in educational materials and programming”.

The Smithsonian was created by the federal government in 1846 and operates 21 museums and galleries, but it sits outside any branch of government.