Unfortunately, we don’t appear to have seen the bottom just yet . . . but it’s not for a lack of trying on his part.

This is Donald Trump’s brand new, gilt-framed “Presidential Walk of Fame” in the White House corridor leading to the West Wing:

If you’ve seen the pictures of the original presentation, you will no doubt notice the recent addition of a plaque — sometimes two plaques — beneath each portrait. Apparently the byproducts of some nocturnal mental spasm on the part of their creator, the plaques — which one might assume would contain brief tributes to each of the nation’s previous leaders — instead display more of his malignant narcissism and his twisted, angry, gut-wrenching jealousy and vengefulness.

A plaque at the front of the exhibit carries a mixed message, saying that 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.” [Alejandra Jaramillo, CNN, December 17, 2025.]

His own plaque, of course, runneth over with accolades for his largely exaggerated or imaginary accomplishments. He references his 2024 election victory, saying that he overcame an “unprecedented Weaponization of Law Enforcement against him, as well as two assassination attempts,” and that he has “delivered” on his promise to bring about a “Golden Age of America” by ending wars, securing borders, and deporting alleged gang members. [Id.]

And next to that lovely piece of self-aggrandizement, we come to the two plaques — because one was insufficient to contain the entirety of his vitriol — for his immediate predecessor, President Joe Biden . . . which isn’t a portrait at all, but a snarky photo of an autopen. Copied in exact detail from Trump’s original text — including his inexplicable initial- and all-caps emphasis — the Biden plaques begin with this charming honorific:

“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.” And it ends with: “But despite it all, President Trump would get Re-Elected in a Landslide, and SAVE AMERICA!” [Id.]

Moving on, we come to . . . whoops! . . . another Trump portrait, for his first term. (The same was done for Grover Cleveland, who also served two non-consecutive terms.)

Next is President Barack Obama, whom he describes as “. . . the first Black President, a community organizer, one term Senator from Illinois, and one of the most divisive political figures in American History.” [Id.]

And, while magnanimously noting some of President Bill Clinton’s achievements, Trump couldn’t resisting adding — despite the irrelevancy — that “In 2016, President Clinton’s wife, Hillary, lost the Presidency to President Donald J. Trump!” [Id.]

*. *. *

I honestly am unable to imagine any individual being so totally consumed by hatred and insecurity that they could even conceive of doing such a thing; and I wonder whether this unspeakable malevolence — churning away at his insides as it must be doing — might even be an underlying cause of his accelerating physical decline, like some sci-fi flesh-eating demon.

In a statement to CNN, when asked for information as to who is paying for the plaques, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt offered this non-responsive reply:

“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.” [Id.]

Yes, I believe he did write some of them himself — and we can guess which ones. But as for the “student of history” . . . well, I doubt that includes anything earlier than his own birth.

In any event, we can but hope that the next occupier of the Oval Office will have the decency to remove the plaques, and replace the autopen photo with an actual portrait of President Biden. Because what the White House needs, in addition to some old-fashioned courage, integrity and empathy, is the return of class.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
12/18/25