Trump White House plaque: Biden the worst president in history, Obama accused of spying in the Russia-gate scandal

Trump personally inscribed plaques beneath the portraits of past presidents in the West Wing colonnade of the White House, labeling Biden as the “worst president in history” with an automatic pen image, accusing Obama of surveilling the campaign and fabricating the Russiagate hoax, leading to a disruptive rewrite of American presidential tradition.

Trump’s handwritten plaques installed in the White House, Biden’s portrait replaced with a signature pen

ABC News reported on the 18th that President Trump has newly installed plaques beneath the portraits of former presidents in the West Wing colonnade of the White House, each describing the respective president. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed in a statement that many of the plaques were “written personally by the President.”

This move immediately sparked controversy. Reports indicate that Trump’s descriptions of recent predecessors are highly personalized, resembling his social media posts, with casual punctuation, capitalization, and frequent exclamation points. The reports also note that these comments “insult and baselessly attack” some former presidents, including Biden and Obama.

Most notably, Biden’s portrait is not a traditional bust but an image of an automatic signature pen. This highly ironic design hints at Biden signing numerous executive orders during his term but lacking substantial achievements. The plaque below bluntly states: “Sleepy Joe is the worst president in history,” adding that “he took office during America’s most corrupt election.”

In contrast, other presidents are depicted with portraits, with only Biden receiving “special treatment.” Trump’s portrait appears twice, representing the 45th and 47th presidents of the United States. This arrangement itself conveys a strong political message: Trump positions himself as a pivotal figure in American politics.

In September this year, Trump created portraits of past presidents in the White House West Wing colonnade. During a November interview with Fox News, Trump hinted at installing these plaques, claiming each would describe the actions of the respective president during their tenure. Now, the content of these plaques reveals that Trump’s definition of “actions” is highly personal.

Obama accused of surveilling the campaign and creating Russiagate; Clinton plaque mentions Hillary’s defeat

The description of Obama as “one of the most controversial figures in American history” is itself a highly contentious evaluation. The plaque further accuses: “He surveilled Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and led the creation of the ‘Russiagate’ hoax.”

These accusations have long been central to Trump and his supporters’ narrative. They believe the Obama administration improperly surveilled Trump’s campaign using intelligence agencies and attempted to undermine Trump’s legitimacy through the so-called “Russiagate” investigation. However, these claims have never been supported by conclusive evidence; the Mueller report did not establish collusion between Trump and Russia, nor did it prove Obama led any “hoax.”

Embedding such controversial and unproven allegations directly into a White House official plaque is unprecedented in U.S. presidential tradition. Even when political stances differ, presidents typically maintain a basic respect for their predecessors in public. This is considered an important aspect of American political culture. Trump’s approach clearly breaks this tradition.

Under the portrait of former President Clinton, it reads: “President Clinton’s wife, Hillary, lost to Donald Trump and lost the presidency.” The focus here is not on Clinton’s own record but on Hillary’s defeat in the 2016 election. This narrative again shows Trump using these plaques as tools to reinforce his political story rather than as objective historical records.

Plaque style resembles social media posts; traditional presidential decorum disrupted

The report specifically points out that the style of these plaques is strikingly similar to Trump’s social media posts: casual punctuation and capitalization, filled with exclamation points, straightforward language with strong personal emotion. This “Twitter-style governance” has now extended into the physical space of the White House.

For those familiar with Trump’s governing style, this is not surprising. Trump has never hidden his disdain for political opponents nor believed in adhering to traditional presidential decorum. In his view, such “political correctness” is hypocritical Washington establishment behavior, and his mission is to break these conventions.

Critics argue, however, that plaques in the presidential office differ from personal social media accounts. The White House represents the authority and historical continuity of the nation’s institutions, not a personal platform for one president’s opinions. Writing controversial and attack-oriented personal evaluations into the official White House display could undermine the dignity of the presidency itself.

A deeper concern is how this approach affects American political culture. If every president publicly attacks and denigrates their predecessor in the White House, where is the bottom line of political civility? Could this further deepen the already highly polarized political environment?

Physical manifestation of political polarization and its long-term impact on U.S. institutions

Trump’s plaque incident essentially materializes American political polarization within the physical space of the White House. It reflects broader trends: the breakdown of traditional political norms, the rise of personalized politics, and the importance of narrative power in the “post-truth” era.

From Trump’s perspective, these plaques are a correction to “the distorted history shaped by mainstream media and the establishment.” His supporters might see them as honest expressions—finally, a president willing to speak the “truth” rather than follow scripted political correctness.

From an institutional standpoint, however, this sets a dangerous precedent. If future Democratic presidents emulate this practice—placing similarly aggressive evaluations of Trump in the White House—the continuity and authority of the U.S. presidency could be further eroded.

It’s notable that the White House press secretary emphasized that these plaques are “personally written by the President,” indicating that Trump’s team views this as an important political statement, not merely decorative historical commentary. These words are carefully considered, aiming to reinforce Trump’s narrative of recent U.S. political history.

Within this framework, Biden is labeled as “the worst president,” Obama as a “controversial figure who fabricated a hoax,” and Trump himself as a twice-elected reformer challenging the establishment and speaking for the American people. Strengthening this narrative is crucial for Trump to consolidate his support base and influence the 2026 midterm elections.

Market reactions and implications for crypto policy

For financial markets and crypto investors, this event may carry significance beyond political spectacle. Trump’s public attacks on former presidents—especially Biden and Obama—suggest he intends to overturn their policy legacies.

During Biden’s term, crypto regulation policies, notably SEC Chair Gary Gensler’s “enforcement-first” approach, have been a pain point for the industry. Trump’s highly negative comments about Biden provide a narrative foundation for promoting crypto-friendly policies: if Biden is the “worst president,” then dismantling his regulatory framework is justified and necessary.

Similarly, Trump’s accusations that Obama “fabricated a hoax” align with his long-standing narrative of a “deep state” and “establishment conspiracy.” This narrative resonates strongly within the crypto community, many of whom believe traditional financial systems and regulators are colluding to suppress decentralization.

From this perspective, the White House plaques are not just political theater but part of Trump’s effort to legitimize policy shifts—including crypto policies—by demonizing predecessors. This creates a political space for more radical reforms.

Market reactions have been muted; U.S. stocks and crypto markets did not show significant movement on the day, likely influenced more by CPI data and AI policy news. However, in the long term, Trump’s ongoing challenge to political norms and his outright rejection of previous policies could introduce policy uncertainties.